tw: depression, anxiety, disordered eating
some see food as fuel, some as medicine, some as art. some as currency, some as status, some as hobby. some as substance, some as solace, some as adversary.
our consumption has far-reaching impacts – sometimes as far as the deepest crevices of our psyche, only tangible while we sleep. whether through physiology or psychology, the things we eat, particularly before bed, matter.
‘bad’ food ≠ bad sleep, necessarily, but it could.* ‘good’ food ≠ good sleep, necessarily, but it could. why not experiment on yourself?
‘good’ food ≠ nutritious food, necessarily. won’t deny what the docs have to say about this (though good nutritional research is very hard to quantify), but there’s also something to be said for eating things that make you feel cosy.
ON THE FLIP SIDE, it can also be fun to eat things that disturb your sleep. or i guess i should say, disturb your mind while you sleep. get a little *too* cosy and let your brain run wild.
more on that later.**
*I experienced some of my most heightened, heart-racingly anxious periods during a stretch of eating chocolate before bed and don’t think it’s a coincidence. strangely, espresso before bed doesn’t have the same effect.
pt. 1 - snacks to help you sleep
you’re definitely not the only one having trouble getting to/staying asleep rn.
insomnia’s been on the rise since the pandemic. ps, insomnia can cause depression. ps, depression can cause insomnia. ps, depression’s been on the rise since the pandemic.
but it’s probably not related at all. it’s probably the moon.
try eating these things and see if they help.
when i was a fruitarian (who relates?) i would make kiwi smoothies with the whole fruit, skin included. i still eat kiwi skin (the internet told me i’m allowed to) but not in smoothie form. don’t recommend you follow in my footsteps, but if you wanna dip your toe in the kiwi smoothie, try this vintage NYT recipe by vegetarian icon Martha Rose Shulman found via this sad excuse for a NYT article (best part is the comments, tbh).
oh yeah, the internet also says ‘eating 1–2 medium kiwis before bed may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer’ because of ‘seratonin and antioxidants’.
turkey’s meant to help you sleep cause it has tryptophan. this one doesn’t but it’s sure to knock you out anyway.
imo midnight/pre-bed snacks should always be room temp at warmest, therefore cold noodle soup is ideal. made with a soy milk base (which, like turkey is rich in tryptophan), this one is a good bet for a cosy sleep – foreshadowed by the cosy graphics (s/o anne hasegawa).
a few months ago i was walking down st kilda rd and i think i saw the guy who runs this blog (arman?) coming out of an apartment and i was starstruck because i started reading his blog yet never making his recipes before i even moved here, i’m pretty sure.
i can’t say whether his ‘healthy’ recipes taste as decadent as they look which may be why i’ve yet to try them but this one seems a good place to start because 1 it’s only 3 ingredients, 2 it’s the most underrated dessert and 3 it’s got yoghurt i.e. tryptoghurt.
when you want cheese disguised as a salad, try this. there is some kale buried under all the gouda, which ‘is literally packed with vitamins and minerals that support sleep and health in general’.
ummm how fucking cute are these? totally unrealistic but worth attempting just to say you did it (photos for proof). they are made with oats so they’re healthier than *real* cinnamon buns and will also help you sleep b/c, again, tryptophan.
if you can be fucked deep-frying before bed (or at all), these are the perfect snack to help you sleep™ because ‘bananas are rich in sleep-promoting nutrients like magnesium, tryptophan, vitamin B6, carbs, and potassium’. for an even easier option, take a banana or better yet, a plátano and put it in the air fryer for 5 mins.
chamomile as a sleep aide needs no explanation but pure chamomile is boooring. this recipe is way more exciting and was created by a tea sommelier, so tea nerds won’t judge you for tainting your chamo with milk.
it’s up in the air exactly why, but lots of people report sleepiness after eating lots of rice. it may be due to a spike in GI which can lead to drowsiness but who really knows. science aside, this recipe is a good-looking way to sneak some in pre-bed and it’s also got cheese, so get ready for a wild night**.
wild card: English muffin slathered in homemade almond butter and topped with homemade tart cherry chia jam
nut butter + jam toast (or muffin) is my go-to late-night snack. this variation includes almonds AND tart cherries which are both high in melatonin and you know what that means.
**this article is far too long already so I’ve saved pt. 2 + 3 for next week. unfortunately for pt. 1, those are a way better read. ttys.