Best for better sleep: An ounce of cheese and a few whole-grain crackers is an excellent choice for a pre-bed nosh. The calcium in cheese helps your body use the tryptophan that's naturally found in dairy to make melatonin, a hormone produced in a tiny gland in the middle of your brain.
A 2020 systematic review of research relating to dairy and sleep found multiple studies that found that dairy products rich in Tryptophan could help people sleep longer, among other benefits. Studies also show that a combination of milk and cheese, along with exercise, before bed could help older adults fall asleep.
But having a cheeseboard before bed comes with one precaution – making sure you eat it at least two to three hours before you fall asleep. The expert recommended leaving this time to let your body digest the food properly. Cheese isn't the only dairy product which might help.
"A part-skim mozzarella cheese stick is a great late-night snack. It contains about 100 calories and 7 grams of protein. Protein is an important factor for any late-night snack because it keeps you feeling full," says registered dietitian Lauren Kaufman M.S., M.
While going to bed on a full stomach is never a good idea, studies show that eating fatty foods, such as cheese, just before bedtime gives us a lower quality sleep – and we're more likely to remember our dreams if we wake up a lot.
Sleep-inducing snacks
Eat low-fat cottage cheese with a few 100% whole-grain pita chips. Smear peanut butter on 100% whole-grain crackers. Enjoy an apple with mozzarella string cheese. Tart cherry juice also seems to promote sleep.
Protein in cheese may help you sleep longer and balance blood sugar levels overnight. Sleep disturbances can happen when blood sugar levels dip below normal. Additionally, cheese is a good source of calcium, offering 200 milligrams in one ounce of cheddar (20% of the average daily value for adults 19-50 years old).
This led to the conclusion that the essential amino acid in milk, and therefore cheese – tryptophan – was having an effect on the cheese eaters by stabilising their sleep patterns and reducing stress levels.
It can also help you sleep better by regulating your body's sleep-wake cycle. And finally, cheese toast is a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that's known for its calming effect. So if you're looking for a snack that will help you relax and drift off to sleep, cheese toast is a good option.
A cheese to eat before bed that will not disrupt sleep (potentially even encouraging it) is cottage cheese. The National Sleep Foundation recommends cottage cheese as a nighttime snack thanks to its high tryptophan content, which encourages the release of serotonin and allows for relaxation.
Caffeine, alcohol, high-fat meals, sugary snacks and spicy foods may all be culprits ruining a good night's sleep. “Caffeine is hidden in so many of the foods and drink we have,” Mehta said. “One cup of coffee in the morning can potentially impact sleep quality.
Taking a bath, reading, or listening to quiet music before bedtime may also leave sleepers relaxed and ready for deep sleep. In addition to relaxing activities, sleepers should try to avoid discussing or thinking about stressful topics before getting into bed.
Eggs and fish are higher melatonin-containing food groups in animal foods, whereas in plant foods, nuts are with the highest content of melatonin.
Tryptophan and melatonin
Your two best friends for a restful night. Milk (and other dairy products) are a really good source of tryptophan. It's an amino acid that can help promote sleep, so it can come in particularly handy especially if you're used to tossing and turning before finally getting off to sleep.
Carbohydrate-rich foods like toast trigger insulin production. This induces sleep by speeding up the release of tryptophan, a chemical that helps to relax the body and send it off to sleep. Like toast, milk releases serotonin, another great body relaxer. And like milk, bananas are high in calcium, which promotes sleep.
Cheese is listed as a food for sleep, because of one of the amino acids it contains – tryptophan. Tryptophan has been proven to reduce stress, balance hormones and induce sleep. On top of this, cheese is high in B vitamins. The vitamin B6 can also improve your quality of sleep and apparently leads to vivid dreams.
Dairy products such as Greek Yogurt contain an amino acid called tryptophan, which may help you to feel drowsier before heading to bed. After you eat foods rich in tryptophan, your body converts it into two hormones, serotonin and melatonin, which may promote a restful night's sleep.
If you really are experiencing late-night hunger pains, reach for a low-cal, whole-grain snack like whole-wheat toast, high-fiber cereal, or popcorn. "Whole-grain carbs help release serotonin in the brain, which make you feel calm and ready for sleep," Moskovitz says.