Restful Night Treats: What to Eat Before Bed (when you’re hungry)
Late-night hunger is not a self-discipline problem; it is your body asking for stability before a long fast while you sleep. The right bedtime bite can support sleep: a small snack with slow carbs, healthy fats, and a little protein helps keep blood sugar steady so you are less likely to wake at 2 a.m.
Choose foods rich in magnesium and tryptophan such as oats, almonds or pumpkin seeds, tahini, tart cherries, and kiwi, and keep portions modest so digestion stays calm. Skip heavy, greasy, very spicy, or very sugary foods at night because they keep your system in work mode. Aim to eat about an hour before bed if you are truly hungry.
Here are two recipes that you can prepare in advance, to snack on throughout the week:
Recipe 1: Turmeric–Cardamom Overnight Oats (Serves 2)
Why it supports sleep:
Steady, slow carbs from oats help keep blood sugar even overnight.
Chamomile gently calms the nervous system and tummy.
Turmeric + cardamom are cozy, digestive-friendly spices (not stimulating).
Almonds (optional topper) add magnesium for muscle relaxation.
Ingredients (base)
Rolled oats (gluten-free): 1 cup
Unsweetened plant milk: ⅔ cup
Strong chamomile tea, cooled: ¼ cup (steep 1 tea bag in ½ cup hot water for 10–15 minutes; use ¼ cup)
Thick plain coconut (or other) vegan yogurt: 6 tablespoons
Maple syrup: 1 tablespoon
Ground turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon (level)
Ground cardamom (green): ⅛ teaspoon (tiny pinch)
Pure vanilla extract: ½ teaspoon
Fine sea salt: ¼ teaspoon
Optional: tiny pinch black pepper (you will not taste it)
Optional quick cherry topper (keeps it simple)
Frozen tart cherries: ½ cup
Water or apple juice: 1 tablespoon
Maple syrup: 1 teaspoon, to taste
Vanilla: a drop
Pinch fine salt
(Optional thicken: 1 teaspoon arrowroot or chia seeds; stir in at the end for 20–30 seconds.)
Optional almond sprinkle
Whole raw almonds: ½ cup
Fine sea salt: ¼ teaspoon
Method
Mix the base: In a bowl or jar, whisk plant milk, cooled chamomile tea, yogurt, maple, turmeric, cardamom, vanilla, salt (and pepper if using) until smooth. Stir in the oats.
Chill: Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours.
Cherry topper: Simmer cherries with water (or juice), maple, vanilla, and a pinch of salt for 3–4 minutes until juicy. (If using arrowroot, stir it in now and cook 20–30 seconds.) Cool.
Almond sprinkle: Toast almonds on a small tray at 300°F (150°C) for 10–12 minutes until fragrant; cool, chop, and toss with salt.
Serve: Stir oats; loosen with a splash of plant milk if needed. Spoon into two bowls or jars. Top with warm or cooled cherries and a spoon of almonds.
Make-ahead & storage:
Oats: up to 2 days chilled (stir and splash with milk to loosen).
Cherries: up to 3 days chilled.
Almonds: 3–4 days airtight at room temperature.
Swaps:
No yogurt on hand? Use an extra ¼ cup plant milk and add 1 teaspoon chia for body.
Low-sweet: drop maple to 2 teaspoons and add a tiny extra pinch of salt for roundness.
Recipe 2: Carob–Tahini Roasted Nuts with Lavender Salt (Serves 6–8)
A cozy, chocolate-adjacent mix (no cacao, so no caffeine/theobromine). Lightly sweet, more savory-toasty than dessert. Gorgeous in little bowls.
Why it supports sleep:
Carob gives “chocolatey” comfort without stimulants.
Tahini + nuts/seeds bring magnesium + healthy fats to relax muscles and steady blood sugar.
A whisper of lavender is a fast aroma cue for the nervous system to exhale.
Ingredients
Pecans, halves: 1 cup
Almonds, whole: ¾ cup
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas), hulled: ½ cup
Sunflower seeds, hulled: ¼ cup
Light tahini (well stirred): 2 tablespoons
Maple syrup: 1½ teaspoons
Water: 1½ tablespoons
Carob powder: ¾ teaspoon (sift if lumpy)
Pure vanilla extract: scant ½ teaspoon
Fine sea salt: ⅓ teaspoon
Lavender finishing salt: flaky sea salt ⅛ teaspoon + a tiny pinch of finely crushed culinary lavender (about 1⁄16 teaspoon), rubbed together
Black toasted sesame seeds (optional but lovely): 1 teaspoon
Parchment paper for 1 sheet pan
Optional anti-clump: very fine oat flour, ½ teaspoon
Method
Heat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment.
Pre-toast nuts and seeds: Spread pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds on the pan. Bake 8–10 minutes until just fragrant.
Make the glaze: In a large bowl, whisk tahini, maple, water, carob, vanilla, and fine salt until it flows like thin honey. If thick, whisk in 1–2 teaspoons hot water.
Coat: Toss the warm nuts and seeds in the glaze until lightly glossy with no puddles. Return to the lined pan in a single layer.
Bake to set: Bake 10–12 minutes, stirring once at the halfway mark, until the surface looks dry/tacky, not wet. (Optional: dust with the oat flour in the last 2–3 minutes and stir—this helps keep pieces separate.)
Finish: While still warm, sprinkle lightly with the lavender finishing salt, then the black sesame seeds. Cool completely, tossing once or twice so clusters stay bite-size.
Serve: 6–8 people as a snack (about ¼–⅓ cup each).
Make-ahead: Store airtight at cool room temperature up to 4 days.
Tip: Go light with the lavender—pinch only. You want soothing, not perfume.
Swaps:
No carob? Use ½ teaspoon cacao + ¼ teaspoon carob to keep caffeine very low.
Seed-only version: double pumpkin seeds, skip almonds (for nut-free environments).
Sweetness: keep it low; this is an evening mix. If you reduce maple, add a tiny extra pinch of salt to keep flavor round.