A late night snack for better sleep revealed to be full of melatonin, magnesium

You have trouble sleeping – have you considered turning your insomnia into insomnia-nom-nom-nom-nia?

Sleep can be hard to come by in the winter because exposure to less sunlight can significantly disrupt your internal clock. There are several ways to restore restful sleep – try to maintain a consistent bedtime, enjoy the morning light, and practice relaxation.

Certain foods before bed can also help you catch zzz’s. Brain health researcher Marc Milstein, author of “The Age-Proof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Dementia,” said “a few simple tweaks” to your nighttime routine can enhance your travels in the sleepy city.

One of his suggestions is a porridge made in heaven – oatmeal.

“Oatmeal is something that’s a complex carbohydrate — it doesn’t cause blood sugar to rise or fall,” Milstein explained on Instagram.

“We now know that a lot of the problems we have with waking up in the middle of the night can be rooted in low blood sugar or high blood sugar, so we realize that oats are a great choice,” he said.

Oatmeal boasts the hormone melatonin, which promotes sleep, fiber and protein, which contribute significantly to feelings of satiety, and magnesium, which relaxes muscles.

Milstein also likes bananas and almonds before bed, which are high in magnesium, and Greek yogurt when it’s high in protein and low in sugar.

Johns Hopkins Medicine advocates eating whole-wheat toast or a bowl of oatmeal before bed because they are complex carbohydrates that don’t take long to digest.

They also stimulate the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter believed to play an important role in regulating the quality and duration of sleep.

Toronto-based registered dietitian Abbey Sharp likes to make her hunger-busting oatmeal before bed with oats, hemp hearts, milk, a pinch of salt, a ripe banana, a spoonful of almond butter, friendly cherries with melatonin. and a chopped protein bar.

“Carbohydrates and high-fiber protein are key to a satisfying bedtime snack that will keep you full through the night to improve sleep quality,” Sharp noted on TikTok.

“I also like to add cherries and almond butter for flavor (plus healthy fats), but also because of their fact-based benefits for a good night’s sleep,” she added.