The Bedtime Snack That Could Help You Fall Asleep Faster

Bedtime Bites: Only about half of U.S. adults get enough sleep each night, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For some, the issue is falling asleep. Others have trouble staying asleep. New research suggests a common pantry snack — almonds — could help improve both. 

How to Do It: Researchers studied 175 adults with poor sleep quality between ages 21 and 55. For five months, 88 of them ate almonds before bed, and 87 ate a non-almond bedtime snack. Their sleep was measured with self-reported sleep scores, plus blood tests and brain-wave recordings. Eating almonds before bed appeared to shorten sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) and extend sleep efficiency (the time spent actually sleeping when you’re in bed). 

The Benefits: The biggest impact was in the subjective scores, or how the participants felt their sleep quality had improved. But the almond group also had significantly larger concentrations of melatonin in their blood, which is crucial for sleep. In addition to melatonin, almonds contain other compounds that aid sleep, including tryptophan, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. But they’re also calorie-dense, so stick to a one-ounce serving (about 23 nuts).