Nuts are an ideal snack before bed. They’re full of good stuff for your health and can help with sleep, controlling weight, and feeling better overall if you eat them in small amounts at night.
If you want a yummy snack that also helps you feel less hungry and sleep better, nuts are a great choice.
Let’s look closer at the top 10 reasons why having nuts before bed can make you healthier and improve the way you sleep:
Table of Contents
- 1. Nuts Help Keep Blood Sugar Stable
- 2. Nuts Have Melatonin
- 3. Nuts Offer Essential Minerals for Good Sleep
- 4. Nuts Improve Your Mood
- 5. Nuts Help You Relax
- 6. Nuts Balance Your Sleep Hormones
- 7. Nuts Prevent Acid Reflux
- 8. Nuts are Rich in Vitamins for Better Sleep
- 9. Nuts Boost Your Immune System
- 10. Nuts Help With Weight Loss
- The Takeaway
1. Nuts Help Keep Blood Sugar Stable
Nuts have healthy fats, protein, and fiber which are great for keeping your sugar levels in your blood stable. They help stop quick jumps in blood sugar that can mess up your sleep. Because nuts have protein and fiber, they release sugar slowly into your blood, and the fat in them helps keep your sugar levels smooth. This helps you avoid getting too much energy from carbs that can make sleeping difficult.
Walnuts, almonds, pistachios and cashews are some of the best nuts because they don’t make your blood sugar go up too much. Just remember to eat only a little bit, like an ounce or a small handful, because nuts have a lot of calories. This small amount can stop you from waking up hungry in the middle of the night and feeling tired in the morning.
2. Nuts Have Melatonin
Many nuts, especially walnuts, have melatonin, which is something our bodies use to know when it’s time to sleep. Even though nuts only have a little melatonin, eating them with some carbs, like crackers or an apple, can help your body make more melatonin.
If you snack on melatonin-rich nuts like pistachios, almonds, or walnuts a couple of hours before bed, your body uses the tryptophan in them to create more melatonin. This will help you get ready for a good night’s sleep.
3. Nuts Offer Essential Minerals for Good Sleep
Nuts are full of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc that help you sleep well. Magnesium relaxes your muscles and nerves, making it easier to rest. Potassium helps with the nerve signals that are important for deep, dream-filled (REM) sleep. Zinc also helps turn tryptophan into melatonin, which is good for sleep.
Almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds have lots of magnesium, so a small handful before bed is good for you. Brazil nuts give you potassium, zinc, and selenium, which may help you feel less anxious.
4. Nuts Improve Your Mood
The good fats (omega-3s), vitamin E, zinc, and magnesium in nuts can lift your spirits and help with sadness and anxiety that can stop you from sleeping. Walnuts have more omega-3s than other nuts, which is good for how you feel emotionally.
Almonds and cashews provide a boost of magnesium to improve your mood. Vitamin E, which you can find in nuts like sunflower seeds and almonds, fights stress with its antioxidant powers and helps you relax before sleep.
5. Nuts Help You Relax
Nuts contain L-tryptophan, an amino acid that naturally makes you feel relaxed. It also makes serotonin and melatonin, which help you feel calm and sleepy.
Walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds all have tryptophan. If you eat nuts with a bit of carbs, like a piece of fruit or some crackers, it helps your body use the tryptophan better.
6. Nuts Balance Your Sleep Hormones
A handful of nuts give you phytosterols that help balance the hormones you need for a good night’s sleep. Phytosterols are found in plants and they work like the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which help us wake up and sleep at the right times.
Pistachios and cashews have plenty of phytosterols. These not only help balance hormones but also reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which can disrupt sleep. The magnesium in almonds and pumpkin seeds also supports healthy hormone levels.
7. Nuts Prevent Acid Reflux
Heartburn and indigestion from acid reflux can interrupt your sleep. Nuts are full of fiber which causes your body to produce an alkaline type of stomach acid. This helps keep acid from coming up into your throat after you eat, so you can rest without interruption.
Almonds are the most alkalizing nut. Walnuts, pecans, and peanuts can help too because they soak up excess stomach acid and help it pass through your digestive system. Avoid nuts that have a lot of spices or salt because they might make reflux worse.
8. Nuts are Rich in Vitamins for Better Sleep
Nuts have B vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, folate, and thiamine which help your body follow normal sleep-wake cycles. Riboflavin is especially helpful because it helps convert tryptophan into serotonin and melatonin. Vitamin E, also found in nuts, can ease stress and repair the damage done by too much worrying.
Pistachios have a lot of vitamin B6, which is great for serotonin. Almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts also have lots of B vitamins and folate. Walnuts are one of the best for vitamin E, which helps you sleep well.
9. Nuts Boost Your Immune System
Having nuts before you sleep can make your immune system stronger while you’re resting. This keeps you from waking up because of your body’s defense system working. Vitamin E in nuts supports good immune health. Zinc keeps your immune system strong and fights off germs.
Cashews, almonds, and hazelnuts have a bunch of vitamin E. Brazil nuts are super rich in zinc, which also helps fix your body while you sleep. Just an ounce of these nuts can give you more zinc than you need for the whole day.
10. Nuts Help With Weight Loss
Eating nuts before bed can be part of a diet that helps you lose weight. They make you feel full because of their protein and fiber, so you’re less likely to eat too much late at night. The nutrients in nuts also help with the body’s ability to burn fat while you sleep.
Research says that people who eat nuts tend to have lower body weight and less belly fat compared to those who don’t eat nuts. Just watch how much you eat and stay away from nuts with extra sugar or salt. About 170 calories is what you get from one ounce of nuts.
The Takeaway
Adding nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pistachios to your nighttime snack routine can bring lots of benefits for great sleep and more.
They’re packed with proteins, fats, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and plant compounds that feed your body and brain for a good night’s rest. Stick to a small portion, about an ounce, to keep your calorie count right. Choose nuts as your evening snack for their many sleep-helping qualities.
