This Healthy Late-Night Snack Will Fill You Up And Help You Sleep

A large number of people in the U.S. factor in sleep quality when scanning the fridge for a midnight snack. At least that's according to the findings of a 2021 survey conducted by sleep-friendly treats brand Nightfood that gathered data pertaining to the nighttime snack habits of Americans and how these habits are influenced by Daylight Savings Time.

With more than 90% of people admitting they indulge in a snack between dinner and bedtime, ice cream was the top reported craving (31%) with veggies receiving the lowest craving rating (3.5%). To get the best of both worlds, experts suggest reaching for a banana with almond butter as a healthy late-night snack that will not only hit the spot, but enhance our sleep too.

Registered dietitian nutritionist Frances Largeman-Roth told Well+Good that when eaten approximately 60 minutes before hitting the hay, we reap the benefits of the tryptophan found in bananas, along with the added perk of almond butter's magnesium content. Let's break down how each compound may promote sleep.

Also found in turkey (Thanksgiving Day nap, anyone?), tryptophan is an amino acid in bananas that aids in the production of a chemical known as 5-HTP, explain experts at Western Michigan University. This chemical helps generate the neurotransmitters melatonin and serotonin, both of which play an important role in sleep. In a 2022 systematic review published in Nutrition Reviews, researchers found that taking 1 or more grams of tryptophan was linked with shorter wake durations during the course of the night.

Bananas also harbor magnesium, a nutrient that is also abundant in almond butter. In 1 tablespoon of almond butter, you'll get 44.6 milligrams (mg) of magnesium. Although research over the years has produced mixed results, findings of a 2012 study involving 46 older adults published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences showed that magnesium supplementation may improve certain symptoms of insomnia, including sleep efficiency, sleep time, the time it takes for a person to fall asleep, and more.

We're not the only folks who have cast our vote in favor of banana with almond butter as the best new go-to evening snack. PS (formerly PopSugar) also has our back, opting in favor of almond butter and banana for the recipe below, rather than banana topped with peanut butter. Of course, peanut butter comes with no shortage of health benefits of its own, but by tweaking the beloved recipe, you'll get fewer carbs as well as greater doses of calcium and fiber. What's more, fiber-rich foods can help us stay fuller longer.

To make your banana and almond butter snack as healthy (and tasty) as it can be, you'll need one banana, 1 tablespoon of almond butter, a dash of cinnamon, and if you're a fan of nuts, 1 tablespoon of salted chopped pistachios. Taking no more than 3 minutes to whip up, peel the banana and use a knife to coat one side of the fruit with almond butter. Top it off with a dusting of cinnamon and pistachios, cut it up into bite-sized pieces, and revel in all the creamy, nutty goodness that may have you drifting off to sleep in no time.