Some people think that having a bite to eat before bedtime will help them to sleep, but in most cases the opposite is true: eating raises your metabolic rate, which raises your body temperature and gives you energy. The best time to go to sleep is when your body temperature is dropping, not rising. But if eating does all of that, then why do you tend to get a bit sleepy after eating a big lunch or dinner?
When your eat, the brain diverts energy away from the muscles in order to work the muscles of the digestive system. This will make you feel tired and sluggish, but it’s only temporary until the body finishes the first wave of digestion. After that, you’re going to have the rush of energy coming your way that’s being released by the food that you just finished… something you definitely don’t want before bedtime!
Ideally, you should eat smaller amounts in the evening, and it should be more than three hours before you plan on going to bed. Consider a snack in the afternoon between lunch and dinner, and then when you have your dinner fill it with foods such as green vegetables and other foods high in magnesium. Avoid foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and tartrazine (E-102), as both of these additives tend to have negative effects on the quality of sleep.
One old food recommendation that can actually work is a glass of warm milk before bed. Pour 8 ounces of milk into a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, and bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then pour it into a mug and add honey to sweeten it if you choose. Drink it while it’s still warm. This can actually help you to get some sleep, because it contains the chemical known as tryptophan, which is what makes you sleepy after eating a lot of turkey at Thanksgiving.