Getting enough sleep is critical for your overall health. It may lower your risk of acquiring some chronic illnesses, maintain the function of your brain, and strengthen your immune system.

It is typically suggested that you obtain 7 to 9 hours of unbroken sleep per night, yet many people struggle to get enough. There are numerous techniques for supporting excellent sleep, including dietary adjustments, as some foods and beverages have sleep-promoting qualities.

Here are the 9 best meals and drinks to consume before bed to improve your sleep quality.

Almonds

Almonds are a type of tree nut that provides numerous health advantages.

An ounce also delivers 25% of men’s daily manganese needs and 31% of women’s daily manganese needs. Regular consumption of almonds has been linked to a lower risk of a few chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This is due to their high levels of monounsaturated fats, fibre, and antioxidants.

Antioxidants may shield your cells from the damaging inflammation that can contribute to certain chronic diseases. Almonds have also been linked to improved sleep quality. This is because almonds, like numerous other types of nuts, contain the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that adjusts your internal clock and alerts your body to prepare for sleep.

Almonds are also a good source of magnesium, with 1 ounce providing 19% of your daily needs. Consuming enough magnesium may assist improve sleep quality, especially for people who suffer from insomnia.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is a popular herbal beverage with a number of health advantages.It’s famous for its flavones. Flavones are a type of antioxidant that reduces inflammation, which is linked to chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. Drinking chamomile tea may also enhance your immune system, alleviate anxiety and sadness, and improve skin health. Furthermore, chamomile tea contains some special qualities that may help with sleep quality.

Chamomile tea, in particular, contains apigenin. This antioxidant binds to specific brain receptors that may promote drowsiness and alleviate insomnia.

Another study discovered that women who drank chamomile tea for two weeks had better sleep quality than non-tea drinkers. Those who drank chamomile tea also reported reduced symptoms of depression, which is frequently related with sleep issues.If you want to increase the quality of your sleep, try drinking chamomile tea before going to bed.

Kiwi 

Kiwis are a low-calorie and high-nutritional-value fruit. One fruit contains only 42 calories and a large number of nutrients, including 71% of the DV for vitamin C. It supplies men and women with 23% and 31% of the vitamin K they require each day, respectively.

It has a good amount of folate and potassium, as well as other trace minerals. Furthermore, eating kiwis may improve your digestive health, reduce inflammation, and lower your cholesterol. These effects are attributable to the significant levels of fiber and carotenoid antioxidants that they give.

According to research on their ability to increase sleep quality, kiwis may be one of the finest foods to eat before bed.

Walnuts

Walnuts are a well-known type of tree nut. They’re high in nutrition, with over 19 vitamins and minerals and 1.9 grams of fiber in a 1-ounce (28-gram) meal. Walnuts have high levels of magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and copper.

Furthermore, walnuts are high in beneficial fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and linoleic acid. They also have 4.3 grams of protein per ounce, which may help with appetite control. Walnuts may also be beneficial to heart health. They’ve been researched for their capacity to lower high cholesterol levels, which are a significant risk factor for heart disease.

Furthermore, some researchers say that consuming walnuts enhances sleep quality since they are a good source of melatonin.

Passionflower Tea

Passionflower tea is another herbal tea that has traditionally been used to cure a variety of health issues. It is high in flavonoid antioxidants. Flavonoid antioxidants are well-known for their ability to reduce inflammation, promote immunological function, and lower the risk of heart disease.

Furthermore, passionflower tea has been examined for its ability to alleviate anxiety. Apigenin, an antioxidant, may be responsible for passionflower’s anxiety-reducing properties. Apigenin has a calming impact on the brain by attaching to specific receptors.

White Rice

White rice is a grain that is commonly consumed in many nations as a staple diet. The primary distinction between white and brown rice is that white rice has been stripped of its bran and germ. As a result, it contains less fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Nonetheless, white rice contains a good number of vitamins and minerals. Eating foods with a high GI, such as white rice, at least 1 hour before bedtime may aid enhance sleep quality.

Other foods and beverages that may help you sleep

A variety of additional foods and beverages have sleep-inducing qualities. They may, for example, have high levels of nutrients such as tryptophan. However, there has been limited investigation into their precise effects on sleep in some circumstances.

1. Dairy goods: 

Tryptophan is found in dairy products such as milk, cottage cheese, and plain yoghurt. Milk has been demonstrated to help older persons sleep better, especially when combined with modest activity.

2. Bananas: 

Banana peels contain tryptophan, and the fruit itself has a low magnesium content. Both of these characteristics may aid in getting a good night’s sleep.

3. Muesli: 

Like rice, muesli is heavy in carbs with a bit more fibre and has been linked to tiredness when ingested before night. Furthermore, oats are a known source of melatonin.

In conclusion

Getting enough sleep is critical to your health. Several foods and beverages may be beneficial. This is due to the presence of sleep-regulating hormones and brain chemicals including melatonin and serotonin.

Some foods and beverages include significant levels of antioxidants and nutrients, such as magnesium and melatonin, which are known to improve sleep by assisting you to fall asleep sooner or stay asleep longer.

It may be better to consume sleep-enhancing meals and beverages 2-3 hours before bedtime to gain the effects. Eating right before bedtime may create stomach troubles such as acid reflux.