Can't sleep? Why eating certain foods at bedtime could help you nod off

Sleep is essential for good health but sometimes it's not as easy to nod off as we might hope. But eating the right food before you go to bed could make all the difference

A good night's sleep is now one of the main pillars of health and wellbeing. 

We know sleep is important. It’s essential for our health, our wellbeing to keep our brain and body in good working order. But it hasn’t been so easy to doze off during the time of Covid-19. Over the last two years, our daily routines have changed beyond recognition. We have had to deal with constant negative news feeds, uncertainty about work, and worry about our health and that of our family and friends. It all has had an impact on our sleep patterns.

According to the HSE website, adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night, while children and adolescents need significantly more. This time is needed for the body to recharge. Without the right amount of sleep, we can find it difficult to concentrate or remember things and struggle to get through the day. Lack of sleep has been associated with cardiovascular disease, obesity and hormonal regulation. 

Deirdre Hynds was diagnosed as a chronic insomniac as a teenager and has struggled with sleep for the last 20 years. She had a personal epiphany five years ago, finally discovering that what worked best for her was deepening her practice in yoga and meditation, along with tailoring her diet to focus on specific foods. 

Inspired by her success, she worked with food scientist Sean Gilbride to create Unwind, a range of evening snack bars released last year. “I’m a nocturnal person and tend to snack a bit in the evening. But I couldn’t find anything that would fit into my lifestyle,” says Hynds who has a professional background in PR and marketing. 

Deirdre Hynds, founder of Unwind.

She particularly didn’t want anything too sweet - sugar is one of those foods, along with caffeine and alcohol, that can negatively affect sleep. Discovering there was nothing available in that space, Hynds decided to take matters into her own hands. Starting in 2017, her first stop was her local health food shop. “I made a list of what I wanted in the snack - and what I didn't want - and tried many iterations at home on the kitchen table.”

When Hynes had something that she was happy with, she enlisted the help of food scientist and new product development consultant Sean Gilbride to transform the idea into a commercial possibility. 

Unwind health bars

Gilbride, who has noticed a growing interest in the link between sleep and food, worked with Hynds to create a bar that would use natural ingredients, would help people sleep, and not fall foul of health claims legislation. He points out that with an ageing population sleep becomes more of a concern as melatonin production decreases with age, people’s sleep quality is affected. 

With the impact of Covid on sleep patterns, he says that this has “come together to generate more interest and research for holistic ways of dealing with mental health and wellbeing".

The idea of a holistic approach very much fed into the way that Gilbride worked with Hynds to create the Unwind snacks. “We wanted to use natural sources, rather than artificial additives, to bring in micronutrients naturally,” says Gilbride. “People want something that’s a bit more artisan.” 

The bars are made from ingredients like oats, seeds, nuts, Montmorency cherry and chamomile. “Oats are the largest ingredient,” says Hynes. “They’re intrinsically comforting and are great for tryptophan.” 

An essential amino acid, tryptophan, is involved in the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep cycles. “Also, pumpkin seed paste and almonds - anything high in magnesium is great. Lots of us are deficient in magnesium, which is important for the regulation of neurotransmitters. Montmorency cherry is a more recent discovery, a tart cherry available in concentrated form that has high natural levels of melatonin.”

With three flavours launched so far - orange with dark chocolate, malted milk and roasted nut - the Irish-made bars are stocked at more than 150 stores throughout Ireland and Hynds has plans for export and new product development.

She has also gathered a collection of “relax hacks” on her website, with free access to relaxing yoga videos, guided meditation, and bedtime stories for adults. “You don't have to buy a bar to access the content,'' says Hynds, “I want it to be accessible to everyone.'' 

Sleep has now become one of the main pillars of health and wellbeing and, for Hynds, taking a proactive and holistic attitude to sleep is important: “I wanted to create something that was a positive force in a very negative space.” 

• See: www.unwind.ie

Four sleep-friendly foods

Turkey: Not just the cause of post-Christmas lunch snoozes, turkey contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid involved in melatonin production. But you don’t have to go for the whole roast bird to benefit every day: turn turkey into a chilli, use it in Italian meatballs instead of beef, shred poached drumsticks into a Mexican mole or cook it in a stir fry instead of pork.

Milk: Produced in Kanturk, Co Cork, on the Burns family farm, Lullaby Milk is naturally rich in melatonin. Based on the research of Finnish professor Maija Valtonen, the high levels of melatonin are due to a simple fact - the cows are milked before daybreak. It’s available on order from SuperValu and Centra throughout Ireland. Even if you can’t get your hands on this specific brand, regular milk also contains some melatonin and there’s a lot to be said for wrapping your hands around a warm mug of milk before bedtime. Sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon for added comfort.

Oats:  While we might be more used to porridge at breakfast time, oats can also help you get your snooze on. Pair the oat’s mighty combination of complex carbohydrates, melatonin and B vitamins with milk for a bowl of nighttime cosy and, hopefully, a better night’s sleep.

Nuts: Rich in vegetable proteins and unsaturated fatty acids, nuts also contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds like melatonin. In general, raw nuts contain significantly higher amounts of melatonin than those which have been processed - roasted peanuts being the exception. Walnuts, almonds, cashews and Brazil nuts are also good sources of magnesium, another mineral that may improve sleep quality.