If you feel hungry before bed, it could mean that your body needs a snack.
If you feel hungry before bed, it could mean that your body needs a snack. A healthy, low-calorie snack before bed can help keep your blood sugar levels stable so you don’t wake up hungry (or angry) in the morning. But eating the wrong foods before bed can make it hard to sleep and make you gain weight and calories you don’t want. The main issue with bedtime snacks is that people often eat the wrong foods without even being hungry. That’s why we’ve put together a list of 8 healthy snacks that can help you lose weight and sleep better.
Do Snacks Before Bed Make You Gain Weight?
It depends on the kind of snack. If you feel hungry after dinner, it’s fine to have a light, healthy snack. The problem is that people eat at night for reasons other than being hungry. People often eat a lot of high-calorie foods like chips, chocolate, or candy late at night to satisfy a sweet tooth or deal with stress or boredom.
People usually snack like this without thinking about it, like when they’re watching TV or scrolling through social media. Before you know it, you’ve eaten a whole bag of M&Ms. This can lead to too many calories, stomach problems, and trouble sleeping.
4 Things to Do and Not to Do with Bedtime Snacks
1. Don’t eat too much
Most of the time, eating snacks before bed is mindless, which makes you eat too much. To stop yourself from bingeing, pay attention to your food while you eat, don’t eat in front of the TV or your phone, and only eat a small amount of your snack. If you don’t pay attention and don’t control your portions, you’re more likely to eat too much.
2. Eat small, light meals
If you need a snack before bed, choose small, light ones that will help you feel full and help you sleep well. If you go to bed hungry, you’ll probably wake up and eat too much at breakfast. Bananas and nut butter, as well as small amounts of popcorn or fruit, are good choices.
3. Don’t eat foods that are heavy
If you want to lose weight and sleep well, don’t eat greasy, fatty foods before bed. Your body can’t burn off the fat while you sleep if you eat a lot of fatty foods like French fries and pizza. Also, while your body is trying to digest the food, you may feel sick to your stomach and have cramps in your stomach, which can keep you awake and make you feel bad.
4. Don’t forget to count the calories in your bedtime snack.
If you want to lose weight and are worried that your bedtime snack will get in the way, a simple solution is to count the calories in your bedtime snack as part of your daily total. Instead of adding a snack to your regular meals, try to make your other meals a little lower in calories so you can eat the extra calories before bed.
8 Snacks Before Bed to Help You Lose Weight and Sleep Better
Banana with almond butter
- Banana
- Almond butter
Almond butter has magnesium in it, and bananas have both magnesium and potassium. Both of these are natural muscle relaxants that help you sleep. Magnesium lowers cortisol, which is the “stress hormone” that can keep you awake at night. Potassium helps you sleep better by keeping your heart rate steady.
Popcorn
- Popcorn
Popcorn is a great low-calorie snack to eat before bed. Just don’t put butter or other toppings on it. It is a carbohydrate that helps move tryptophan from your blood to your brain, which raises your serotonin levels. Serotonin is a hormone that has a big effect on our circadian rhythms and is linked to better sleep.
2% cottage cheese and pitted tart cherries
- 2% cottage cheese
- Pitted tart cherries
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein, and eating protein before bed helps your muscles heal and speeds up your metabolism. Tart cherries will add some sweetness and also have melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep.
Chickpeas that have been roasted
- Chickpeas
If you want something crunchy after dinner, try roasted chickpeas instead of chips or crackers. They have a lot of protein, are easy to digest, and can help you feel full so you don’t wake up really hungry the next day.
Blueberries and plain Greek yogurt
- Blueberries
- Plain Greek yogurt
Plain Greek yogurt is a good source of calcium, which your body needs to turn the amino acid tryptophan into melatonin. It also has a lot of protein, especially casein, which has been shown to make you less hungry the next morning, so you’re less likely to eat too much at breakfast. Blueberries are good for you because they are high in fiber and antioxidants, which calm your body and mind and lower your stress levels.
Toast made with whole wheat and hummus
- Whole wheat toast
- Hummus
Wheat flour is a good source of magnesium, which has been shown to help adults sleep better, especially those who have trouble sleeping. Chickpeas, which are full of B vitamins, are used to make hummus. B vitamins help your body break down fats, proteins, and carbs.
Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Oats
- Cinnamon
Oats are a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep and keep your circadian rhythms in sync. They are a healthy whole food that has vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but they have more calories than some of the other options, so if you want to lose weight, only eat a small amount of oatmeal. Add a little cinnamon on top because it helps keep blood sugar levels stable, which controls cravings, weight, and mood.
A handful of nuts
- Almonds
- Walnuts
Almonds and walnuts are good for you because they contain melatonin, protein, and magnesium, which can help you sleep and satisfy your hunger and cravings. Make sure the nuts don’t have a lot of added sodium, since that can mess up your sleep cycle. Also, keep your calories in check by only eating 1 ounce before bed.
Snacking before bed can help you feel less hungry and make sure you wake up ready to take on the day if you eat the right foods.
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