Cereal and Milk

You may reserve cereal for your morning meal. But it also can make a smart midnight snack to help you sleep.

Limit portion size (your entire snack should be under 300 calories), especially if you have problems with heartburn—heavy meals can exacerbate the problem. One cup of cornflakes has 100 calories, and a half-cup of skim milk has 45 calories.

Dairy products contain calcium, a mineral that plays a direct role in the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Plus, it also acts as a natural relaxant in the body. 

A Bowl of Berries

When your sweet tooth needs satisfying, you can't beat a bowl of berries for a healthy late-night snack. Besides being loaded with fiber, which helps fill you up, berries contain magnesium, a mineral that relaxes nerves and muscles to speed slumber.

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Nighttime is the right time for this childhood favorite. Here's why: Certain foods, like peanut butter, contain an amino acid called tryptophan that gets converted in the brain to melatonin to promote sleepiness.

But carbohydrates like bread and jelly are needed to make tryptophan more available to the brain. Hence the reason why PB&J is the perfect pairing for a pre-sleep snack, one that's also yummy and—if you opt for whole grain bread and natural peanut butter that's free of added sugar (many brands are loaded with sweetener)—nutritious, too.

Cheese and Crackers

When you're hungry for a savory late-night snack, look to cheese and crackers. When planning your portion size, keep in mind that certain cheeses can be high in calories.

Opt for whole-grain crackers, which contain filling fiber. If you need more volume to stay satisfied until morning, add some fresh grapes, apple slices, or fresh veggies.

Yogurt and Fruit

Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, which has been linked to better sleep. Just be sure to read labels before you purchase it, because some varieties are high in added sugar. Opt for plain yogurt and add flavor with berries, chopped nuts, and antioxidant-rich honey.  

Turkey Sandwich

When only a sandwich will do, start with lean protein like turkey and whole grain bread and add a slice of tomato, some lettuce, and a little mayo or mustard. The combination of protein and complex carbs will send hunger pangs packing.

Fresh Veggies and Dip

If you're craving something crunchy and low-cal, fresh veggies are the ticket. Any combination of raw carrots, broccoli florets, cucumber slices, celery, zucchini, peppers, and grape tomatoes will do nicely to help quell the rumbling in your stomach. Enhance the flavor—and get a healthy dose of z's-inducing calcium—with a dip made from plain low-fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a great p.m. snack because you can have a lot of it without eating too many calories. In fact, 3 cups of air-popped popcorn has fewer than 100 calories and about 4 grams of fiber to satisfy your hunger. You can skip the butter and mix it with dried spices for a super healthy late-night snack.

Fresh Fruit and Nuts

Neither fruit nor nuts require much effort to prepare, making this an ideal option when you're both hungry and tired. Plus, fruit and nuts bring a lot of nutritional benefits to the table, including vitamins, minerals, protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and fiber.

Tasty pairings include an apple with a handful of almonds, a banana (a natural source of melatonin) and a dozen pecans, or a pear with a few walnuts.

If you're all out of nuts, spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on banana slices or dip your apple slices in almond butter. If your almond butter is too solid and thick for dipping, microwave 1 to 2 tablespoons for 30 seconds or until it's melted.

Oatmeal

A warm, soothing bowl of oatmeal may be just the thing for a sleepless night. Oatmeal is an excellent source of filling fiber, including beta-glucan, which can help keep your cholesterol levels in check.

Many prefer steel-cut oats for their unique texture and flavor, but they take a long time to cook. Instead prepare plain instant oatmeal using fat-free or low-fat milk, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and 1/4 cup unsweetened dried fruit.   

Salad Greens

Salad greens like lettuce are rich in a chemical called lactucopicrin, which some research may suggest could help induce sleep. And people have been using lettuce as a sleep aid for hundreds of years.

Lettuce and other greens are low in calories, which makes them a good choice for those watching their caloric intake. You can eat a salad with a little extra virgin olive oil to help with satiation. Or, if you're awake enough to pull out the blender for a healthy late-night snack, blend greens into a fruit smoothie.

Mediterranean Nachos

Top some toasted pita chips with hummus, a dash of paprika, and red pepper for a crunchy and satisfying late-night snack that might even help you fall asleep. Chickpeas, the primary ingredient in hummus, contains 220mg of tryptophan per 100g.

Tart Cherry Juice

In a study, the compounds contained in tart cherry juice increased the availability of sleep-inducing tryptophan. On top of that, evidence suggests it may lower blood pressure and cholesterol, in addition to being an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

You can drink tart cherry juice on its own, or blend with other sleep-inducing ingredients listed here, like yogurt, greens, oatmeal, nuts, and fruits for a hunger-busting smoothie bowl.

Scrambled Eggs

Eggs have among the highest levels of melatonin among all animal products, along with fish. The protein content in eggs can also help increase satiety, helping stave off hunger pangs in the middle of the night.

Glass of milk

Whether you drink it warm or cold, a glass of milk before bed can help you sleep. Milk has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to help improve your quality of sleep. Sleep-inducing amino acids like tryptophan are also found in milk.

Dairy milk is not the only type of milk shown to aid sleep. Soy milk is a good source of both melatonin and tryptophan. Plant-based milk made with nuts can confer the same benefits as whole nuts.

Banana

Bananas are a good source of dietary melatonin, making it an easy choice for a healthy late-night snack. In one small study, those who ate a banana had a four-fold increase in serum melatonin levels two hours after eating the fruit.

People have long believed the potassium content of bananas helps inhibit muscle cramps, a problem some people have when they are trying to sleep. While bananas are a great source of melatonin, newer research casts doubt on the theory that bananas reduce muscle cramps.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin contains tryptophan which contributes to sleep. They also contain essential nutrients zinc, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and magnesium. These can help combat illnesses related to inflammation.