Can Eating a Handful Of Almonds Before Bed Improve Your Sleep?

Packed with protein, fiber, and other nutrients, almonds are a great addition to your diet any time of day. But could they also help you sleep better at night?

Almonds contain both magnesium and melatonin, micronutrients that “help your body relax and fall asleep more easily,” says Karman Meyer, RDN, LDN, registered dietitian nutritionist, author and co-founder of the NourishWell Network. Health.

This means that “a small handful of almonds before bed can give a slight boost to your sleep,” she explained.

However, the science behind almonds and better sleep is a little more complicated: here’s what you need to know.

Given their nutritional composition, it is possible that almonds contribute to better sleep.

Micronutrients

Almonds are rich in magnesium, said Robin Tucker, PhD, associate professor of food science and human nutrition at Michigan State University. Health. This mineral can help calm the nervous system and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, making it easier to fall asleep.

Magnesium is also involved in the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your circadian rhythm and tells your body it’s time to sleep.

Melatonin is also found in almonds themselves: they are considered a good dietary source of this sleep-promoting hormone, especially when eaten raw.

Additionally, almonds contain zinc and tryptophan, both of which are indirectly involved in the production of melatonin.

“This combination is [thought] to provide the right nutrients that can promote sleep,” said Julie Stefanski, MEd, RDN, LDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Health.

Macronutrients

A serving of almonds (approximately 30 grams) contains:

• 6.4 grams (g) of protein
• 3.2 g of fiber
• 12.75 g of unsaturated fat

This mix of protein, fiber, and healthy fats might actually help you stay asleep: All three can help keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the night, which can reduce the chances of sudden awakenings and sleep disruptions, Meyer explained.

These three macronutrients also fill you up, so they may be a better choice for a late-night snack rather than something higher in sugar, Stefanski said.

Based on their nutritional makeup alone, almonds seem to be the perfect diet tip for better sleep. However, research on the subject is quite rare.

In 2019, Iranian researchers had 446 students eat 10 almonds per day for two weeks. At the start of the study, 78% of students reported suffering from insomnia. After adding almonds to their diet, this figure dropped to 69%.

Another study, published in 2024, followed 64 adults and divided them into two groups: one ate 60 grams of almonds per day for 20 weeks and the other ate a control snack. Ultimately, those who ate almonds reported sleeping better and were also less likely to wake up in the middle of the night.

Although these results are promising, the studies are very limited, Stefanski noted. Additionally, it’s unclear “whether smaller amounts of almonds have the same benefits” for sleep, she said.

The quality of participants’ sleep could also influence the results and make them less applicable to the real world, Tucker said.

At this point, she explained, there simply hasn’t been enough research to say for sure that almonds will help you sleep better.

“It is plausible that almonds may help improve sleep outcomes, but the evidence we currently have does not yet support this hypothesis,” Tucker said.

If you want to eat a handful of almonds before bed, it may or may not help you sleep.

But it might be worth a try if you’re feeling peckish at night: Sleep-promoting nutrients aside, it’s hard to fall asleep when you’re hungry, so a light, healthy snack like almonds may be a good choice, Tucker said.

You can also try combining almonds with other foods that might help you sleep. Meyer suggested eating an ounce of almonds and dried tart cherries, which are rich in melatonin.

Just be careful if you have problems with acid reflux, Stefanski warned. High-fat foods like almonds require the stomach to produce more acid to break them down, she said, which could bother you when you’re trying to sleep.

However, it’s not just what you eat right before bed that impacts your sleep. Eating well throughout the day can set you up for success.

“A higher-quality diet is associated with better sleep outcomes,” Tucker said. So focus on eating enough nuts (nuts can also promote sleep), legumes, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and dairy products, and whole grains to improve sleep results.

On the other hand, in the hours before bed, it may be better to avoid:

• Stimulants such as caffeine
• Alcohol
• Fatty, sweet or salty foods
• Spicy foods