January 31, 2024

Pre-bedtime snack: your evening treat with superfoods

By Naturale Bio

Once upon a time there was the midnight snack, which today becomes - to use a term now very popular on social media - the pre-bedtime snack. No, we are not talking about the good times when we met with friends for a late-night spaghetti: it is, instead, a small snack, light and digestible, which many love to consume before going to bed.

Is it good for you? And which foods are best to eat? Can I superfood help? Let's find out together.

What is a pre-bedtime snack and when is it best to do it

It is generally thought that eating before going to bed is inappropriate for several reasons: it would ruin the quality of sleep and make people ingest "useless" calories before sleeping.

In reality, this is not the case for everyone: of course, it is best not to exaggerate with the quantities and be careful about the type of foods you consume, but in itself it can be an excellent habit.

In fact, this secondary meal, the last of the day, can become a little trick to avoid overindulging at dinner, knowing that you will have a hunger break before sleep, and precisely to sleep better, given that many people wake up in the night because hungry, especially if dinner is eaten quickly and is not nutritious enough.

It is therefore good to do this in many different cases, depending on your lifestyle habits:

if you have little time to prepare dinner and tend to eat little;
if you have an increased need for energy and food due to training;
if you train in the evening or early in the morning on an empty stomach and therefore want to stock up on nutrients;
for those who are following a low-calorie diet made up of frequent small meals or for those who have blood sugar problems;
simply, because before going to bed you feel a little peckish!

Which foods and superfoods to take for a pre-bedtime snack

If it is better not to consume heavy foods or exciting substances at dinner, it is even more essential for the pre-bedtime snack. Prefer light and digestible snacks in moderate quantities, choosing those foods that can help you fall asleep more easily.

An example? The expensive, traditional glass of hot milk or vegetable drink – perhaps oat-based, which helps you fall asleep because it naturally contains melatonin, which helps you relax – enriched with a sweet spoonful of beneficial Manuka Honey.

Or a cow's milk or vegetable yogurt, with a spoonful ofacai berry powder and some almonds: açai contains calcium and almonds are rich in magnesium, two mineral salts that promote relaxation.

Even natural cocoa from raw beans contains good quantities of magnesium, and can be used dissolved in hot and cold drinks or to prepare chocolate and light creams, to be enjoyed as a cuddle before sleeping. Just pay attention to the quantity, if you exceed even the cocoa can be slightly exciting.

In general, it is good to try to take foods that containtryptophan, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake rhythm, present in carbohydrates, dairy products and, in small quantities, also in the spirulina algae.

What foods to avoid before sleeping

Better avoid everything that is fatty, excessively sweet and energizing:

No to chips and packaged snacks and no to alcohol, which can lead to acidity and stomach ache;
No to massive doses of sweets and chocolate, because sugar keeps you awake;
No to coffee, tea and energizing drinks, because they risk inducing insomnia and agitation.

Some insights: