What happens to your sleep quality when you eat a handful of nuts before bedtime

Launch and turn? A handful of nuts could help you get very necessary Z.

It is according to a new study published in Food and functionthat Eat 40 grams of nuts (about 1/3 cup) with a dinner for eight weeks the production of improved melatonin, the quality of sleep and daytime vigilance in young adults.

Although the nuts may not be the first thing that comes to mind for better sleep, previous research has also linked the nuts with improved rest. But according to the author of the study Maria Izquierdo Pulido, this new article goes further.

“Our study is the first to provide experimental evidence through nutritional intervention, demonstrating a causal relationship between daily nut consumption and improving the quality of sleep,” said Izquierdo Pulido, also a professor of food sciences and gastronomy at the University of Barcelona, ​​said Health.

To examine the link between nuts and sleep, Izuierdo Polido and his colleagues recruited 76 young adults aged 20 to 35 to participate in a 18 -week trial.

In the first phase of the study, which lasted eight weeks, the participants were divided into two groups: one who consumed 40 grams of nuts with dinner every day, and one who did not do it. (Meanwhile, participants were invited not to eat other types of nuts.)

After a two -week washing period, the groups changed: those who had eaten nuts stopped and the other group began to eat them.

Throughout the study, participants provided urine samples to measure melatonin production. For seven consecutive days of each phase, they also wore wrist trackers who monitored their sleep habits, their activity levels, their skin temperature and their exposure to light. Finally, they were evaluated using a global score of sleep quality, which measured four aspects of night rest:

• Sleep latency (the time required to fall asleep)
• Sleep efficiency (time spent sleeping as a percentage of time in bed)
• Waking up
• Quantity of time spent awake after falling asleep

During the nutrift phase, participants experienced The increase in the production of evening melatonin, took less time to fall asleep and obtained a higher note on the world quality of sleep. They also reported Less diurnal drowsiness.

However, the study had certain limits. It was relatively small and funded by California Walnut Commission (although the authors declared that the organization had no role in the design or interpretation of the study data).

Because participants knew whether or not they ate nuts, their beliefs or behaviors may have been influenced. In addition, all participants were invited to eat a Mediterranean style diet during the test, so other foods could also have played a role in sleep improvements.

Again, the study has some warnings. But if eating nuts really improves sleep, as research suggests, it can be Due to the hormone content of nuts.

For the study, the research team also analyzed the user -friendly nuts and found impressive results. By portion, the nuts contained an average of 84.6 milligrams of tryptophan, 118 nanograms of melatonin and an amino acid ratio (CAA) of 0.058.

Each of these factors is significant for better rest, psychologist in behavioral sleep medicine Daniella Marchetti, PHD, DBSM, said Health. The tryptophan is “the biochemical starting point” for the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin, which regulate sleep, she explained.

As for melatonin itself, it is known as “sleep hormone” for a reason. “Melatonin is increasing in the evening to point out that it is at night, which helps you fall asleep. [Therefore]Eating food with melatonin can stimulate these signals to help the body prepare for sleep, “said Marchetti.

The Tryptophan / CAA ratio also plays an important role. “If you have a lot of amino acids competition for space to pass the” door “in the brain, tryptophan generally loses its competitors,” said Marchetti. “Having a high CAA report means that tryptophan is better likely to cross the blood-brain barrier.”

There are many good reasons to nibble nuts – such as supporting heart health and cognition, the dietitian recorded Lisa Valente, Ms, RD, said Health.

Sleeping can be another justification for retrueil. But Marchetti warns to put too much stock in a single snack. “These results are strong enough to indicate that nuts are a food promoting sleep, but they would not be considered a suitable substitute for the treatment of insomnia for the moment”, ” She said.

If you opt for nuts in the evening, she recommends 30 to 40 grams (about a small handful) after dinner or as a sunset. This timing gives your body time to experience an increase in melatonin, which can take two to three hours after consumption.