How to Eat Healthy Snacks at Night

What you eat at night, as well as how much of it, can make a difference in how well you sleep. If you have insomnia or have difficulty staying asleep, eating healthy snacks at night may help you wake up more refreshed. On the other hand, if you're worried about your weight, you may be better off avoiding snacking at night entirely.

Types of Snacks

The ideal bedtime snack includes a mix of carbohydrates and protein. You want a protein containing the amino acid tryptophan, which helps make sleep-inducing brain chemicals and decreases the number of nerve signals to your brain so you can sleep better. Tryptophan-rich foods include poultry, eggs, dairy and nuts. Eating carbs with the protein helps your brain use the tryptophan more easily. Whole-grain cereal and milk or half of a turkey sandwich each give you a good mix of protein and carbohydrates. Avoid foods high in fat, acidic foods and spicy foods because these are more likely to lead to indigestion or heartburn, according to HelpGuide.org.

Snack Timing

If you do have a nighttime snack, make it at least two hours before bedtime. Otherwise, the digestive process is more likely to interfere with your sleep. Of course, if your stomach starts grumbling right before bed, you may want a light snack so hunger doesn't keep you awake -- just avoid anything too heavy.

Snack Size

It can be easy to overeat when you're snacking at night, especially if you're munching while distracted by the TV. "Fitness" magazine recommends keeping your snack to less than 200 calories. This is easiest to do if you measure out your snack ahead of time instead of eating out of the package. Some snacks the magazine recommends that fit these recommendations include a slice of whole-wheat toast topped with a tablespoon of peanut butter or a single-serving container of yogurt topped with a few berries.

Eliminating the Need

It's healthier to avoid nighttime snacking altogether, if possible. Surprisingly enough, the best way to avoid eating at night may be eating a good breakfast. A study published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2013 found that eating a 350-calorie high-protein breakfast with eggs and beef resulted in less evening snacking than eating the same number of calories from a cereal-based breakfast or skipping breakfast. Each of the breakfasts had the same amount of sugar, fiber and fat, as well as the same energy density, or calories per gram, so it is most likely the protein provided the benefits.