Eatsajoy Editorial Team
- May 19, 2023
- 6 min read

Fit As You Eat: 4 Lower-Cal Foods That'll Help You Sleep Like a Baby

Updated: Jul 6, 2023

A good night's sleep can make a huge difference to your well-being, in ways more than one. Learn how you can sleep well with a little help from some lower-calorie healthful foods.

A good night's sleep is essential for your overall well-being and forms a critical part of a healthy lifestyle.

Among many health benefits, a good sleep can boost your brain's performance, improve your memory and mental alertness, alleviate stress and anxiety, lift your mood, strengthen your immune system, prevent serious chronic diseases, as well as help manage your weight more effectively. And that's especially important after a long day of intense activity, whether it's mental or physical, or both.

Multiple reports have even asserted that having sufficient, high-quality sleep may actually be more important than food. But the truth is, a good sleep and a nutritious diet, plus regular exercise, are all equally important for your health.

The good news is, besides healthy lifestyle habits, there are also some nutritious foods that can actually promote good sleep. These are readily available and affordable, plus, they won't bust your weight management plans — I promise.

Here are four of them that you should reach for (the calorie count gets lower as you read on):

1. Pistachios

Pistachios are one of Nature's gifts that contains a large amount of melatonin — a hormone produced by the pineal gland in our brain that regulates our sleep-wake cycles. As Johns Hopkins sleep expert Luis F. Buenaver, Ph.D., C.B.S.M. explains, "(melatonin) puts you into a state of quiet wakefulness that helps promote sleep.”

A 2014 study shows that every 100g (3.5 oz) of shelled pistachios contains 23mg of melatonin. This is significantly higher than what most melatonin supplements provide, which can range from 0.1mg to 10mg per dose, and it is also much higher than the amounts found in most fruits, cereals and seeds. In addition, these tree nuts also contain other sleep-promoting compounds, such as Vitamin B6, magnesium, tryptophan, calcium, and phytonutrients.

Pistachios are also an excellent source of protein, fibre, antioxidants, and essential amino acids. They are also high in potassium (which improves heart health) and rich in lutein and zeaxanthin (which are important nutrients that promote eye health), and largely contain heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (which help to lower the levels of bad cholesterol in our body).

And here's the best part: Pistachios are one of the lowest-calorie nuts around. Every 28g (1 oz) of pistachios contains only 159 calories, which works out to be about 4 calories per kernel.

Although it's not the lowest-calorie food you'll find, this is significantly lower than the calorie count of the same amount of other sleep-promoting nuts, such as macadamia nuts (204 calories), pecans (196 calories), and walnuts (185 calories). And a standard 237ml (8 fl oz) glass of unsweetened pistachio milk only contains 50 calories.

So, enjoy a handful of pistachios or a glass of pistachio milk guiltlessly, before you hit the sack every night. By that, note that we're only talking about unsweetened and unsalted pistachios or pistachio milk.

2. Almonds

Almonds are another type of tree nut that's rich in melatonin, which could help to promote good sleep. It is also a great source of magnesium, which improves sleep quality by reducing inflammation in the body and helps reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Almonds also contain tryptophan (which increases the level of melatonin in your body) and can enhance serotonin levels in your body to relax your mind and body for a good sleep.

In a study conducted on 75 subjects with chronic insomnia, participants reported significant improvements in sleep quality after they self-administered three intranasal drops of either violet oil (a traditional Iranian herbal drug used to treat insomnia that's made from almonds or sesame seeds) or pure almond oil every night for 30 days. In another study, 8.4% of 442 university students saw a decrease in insomnia after consuming 10 almonds daily for two weeks.

In addition, almonds are also high in protein and rich in nutrients, such as phosphorus, riboflavin (Vitamin B2), manganese, as well as heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre, and antioxidants.

And, like pistachios, almonds are also a type of nut with one of the lowest calories at 129 calories per 28g (1 oz), compared to 159 calories for the same amount of pistachios. And a standard 237ml (8 fl oz) glass of unsweetened almond milk only contains 40 calories — half the number of calories that the same amount of unsweetened soy milk contains.

So, go ahead and chomp away on some almonds or drink a glass of almond milk before you set off to your slumbers. But remember, only unsweetened and unsalted ones, please!

3. Kiwis

Kiwis, otherwise known as the kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry, is a delicious fruit that tastes sweet and tart. And little do many people know that this little fruit with a brown skin is also a sleep-promoting fruit, which contains high amounts of serotonin — a neurotransmitter that helps to relax your mind and body.

In a small study involving 24 adults with sleep difficulties, where participants were asked to eat two kiwis one hour before bed every night, 35% of them experienced a decrease in the time it took them to fall asleep. In addition, these participants also slept about 13% longer and 5% of them reported that they slept better.

Kiwis are also full of nutrients that our body needs. They are high in potassium (promotes good heart health); dietary fibre and actinidin (aid digestion and lower triglyceride levels); antioxidants like lutein (promotes eye health), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and carotenoids; folate, or Vitamin B9, which promotes healthy growth and function of our red blood cells; Vitamin K, which promotes bone health, as well as phytochemicals, among other nutrients.

And the best thing is: two small kiwis (80g) will only cost you 39 calories!

So, there's practically no reason why you shouldn't sink your teeth into some deliciously juicy kiwis before you go to bed.

4. Goji berries

Image by timolina on Freepik

Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, are a Chinese herb that's well known to be good for your eyes. But not many are aware that it's also a sleep-promoting berry.

In a 2-week study conducted in 2008, participants drank 120ml (4 fl oz) of goji berry juice, and more than 80% of them reported improved sleep quality, while about 70% found it easier to wake up; around 50% reported feeling less tired. A 2016 research also shows that goji berries can help to improve depression and anxiety-like behaviours.

In addition, these little red berries also contain powerful antioxidants like Vitamin C, zeaxanthin, and carotenoids, which help to protect you against cancer. Other scientifically proven health benefits of goji berries include the protection of your eyes' health; strengthening of your immune system; promotion of healthy skin; prevention of liver damage; and stabilisation of blood sugar, among others. Speaking of which, goji berries also have a very low glycemic index of only 29 — which means that it is less likely to spike your blood sugar.

Goji berries are also incredibly low in calories. A tablespoon (9g) of the berry only contains 29 calories. So pop some goji berries into your mouth or add hot water to some goji berries and drink it as a beverage, if you can't sleep tonight.

It's also about good sleep and lifestyle habits, and letting go

Sleep can be an elusive thing.

A good sleep doesn't just depend on the food that you choose to eat, but also, to a greater extent, your sleep habits, state of mental wellness, and exercise.

To ensure that the foods above will be able to help transport you to slumberland, you may want to pick up some of these good habits as well:

Set a consistent sleep schedule;
Get off your electronic devices an hour before you sleep;
Switch off all the lights in your bedroom;
Put on some soft, slow, and relaxing music;
Use aromatherapy to help you relax;
Ensure that your bedroom's temperature is comfortable for you;
Have your dinner before 7 p.m.;
Avoid consuming caffeinated drinks in the afternoon;
Avoid consuming alcohol before your bedtime;
Avoid consuming too much water before you sleep;
Learn to meditate and practise mindfulness;
Aim for at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity per week.

Try out the foods above and get into these good habits. With determination and discipline, I'm sure that you won't be too far away from a good sleep, in time to come.

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