Enjoying This Delicious Snack Before Bed Will Help You Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Isn’t it nice when the answer to one of life’s problems involves a yummy snack? For those who struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, reaching for a handful of pistachios before bed just might be the most delicious solution.
How do pistachios help you sleep?
Along with being a great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, these green nuts are packed with melatonin.
According to a 2019 study, pistachios contain high levels of the sleep-inducing nutrient (about 660 nanograms per gram). They also get a boost from tryptophan and phenolic compounds that slowly break it down into more melatonin over time. That all adds up to this pre-bedtime snack not only helping you fall asleep, but continuing to work throughout the night to improve the quality and duration of your snooze.
The researchers noted that roasting pistachios for extra flavor didn’t have any lowering effect on their melatonin levels. You can also grab lightly salted options (Buy at Walmart, $5.97) to make sure it doesn’t affect your sodium intake. But since you only need a small handful to get the sleepy benefits, you probably don’t have to worry too much about that. Just two pistachios is roughly one gram’s worth, so noshing on about 10 or 15 will add the nanograms of melatonin up nicely. Eating them about an hour before you want to conk out should to do the trick.
More Pistachio Benefits
Whether you chow down on them before bed or throughout the day, pistachios will also provide antioxidants that help with things like lowering your cholesterol and improving blood pressure — both of which are big factors for avoiding heart disease.
The green nuts can also provide gut healing and blood sugar balancing perks thanks to their protein, fiber, and healthy fats. This makes them a perfect snack choice for anyone who’s trying to shed a few pounds, too.
With all that in mind, we will definitely be adding some tasty pistachios to our next grocery list!
