Oats Before Bed – Reasons To Consume It

Did you know that oatmeal eaten before bed helps you sleep better? A restful sleep is synonymous with good health and a high level of energy. 

Based on the above statement, we have a few questions for you: Do you sleep eight hours without interruption? Or do you always wake up during the night, and in the morning you feel that you have not rested at all?

If the answer to the second question is yes, you must take action. It is important to make some changes and take a simple remedy: a portion of oatmeal before bed. 

Here are 5 reasons why you should adopt this habit.

1. Oatmeal before bed: an excellent choice

A deep and restful sleep depends on several factors. Two of them are very clear: what time you have dinner and what food you serve at the last meal of the day.

Here is an interesting thing to remember: the liver performs the detoxification process between 1:00 and 3:00 in the morning. If you eat late or serve a hearty meal, this function is not as effective, and you wake up.

Given the aspects mentioned above, it is recommended to have dinner between 19:00 and 21:00. 

As for the foods you need to eat in the evening, one of the best options is oats, both for the health of the body and to enjoy a quality sleep.

Flakes and oat milk contain beneficial nutrients that regulate blood sugar, this balance being very important in the last hours of the day.

In addition, if you want to rest properly, it is not good to eat red meat in the evening. Why? Red meat contains stimulants such as hypoxanthine. Therefore, it is better to opt for fish or whole grains, such as oats.

2. Oats are rich in melatonin and vitamin D.

It is a natural source of melatonin, a compound that regulates the wake / sleep cycle. This does not mean that the oats eaten before bed will immediately put you to sleep like a sleeping pill, but that it will make you drowsy as soon as night falls.

Oats help regulate the wake / sleep cycle due to the content of malatonin and vitamin D which also helps to combat other problems:

• migraines
• Chronic fatigue
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Loss of bone density (osteoporosis)

To make the benefits even greater, look for oatmeal-enriched oatmeal at the supermarket. This product will stimulate the production of serotonin, helping you fall asleep faster.

3. Oats and vitamin B complex

The B vitamin complex plays an important role throughout the body, helping, among other things, the proper functioning of the nervous system.

• Oats are rich in vitamin B6 or pyridoxine. It is needed to convert energy from food into glucose and to metabolize fats and proteins.
• Vitamin B3 stimulates the production of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that induces a state of relaxation and drowsiness.

If you have a deficiency of vitamin B6 or B3, you will feel the effects, the most common being physical fatigue and insomnia.

4. Oatmeal before bed fights anxiety

Oats contain avenin and trigonelin, two types of prolamins (vegetable proteins). They fight anxiety, nervousness and physical and mental agitation that prevent you from falling asleep at night.

It is important to note, however, that vegetable protein in oats can be an allergen for people with celiac disease, which is why it is not recommended for them.

5. Say goodbye to stress with oats

Among the main causes of insomnia are chronic anxiety and stress. They stimulate the adrenal gland and the release of certain hormones that cause muscle tension, stress and fatigue.

Regular consumption of oats helps balance many hormones associated with stress. This cereal regulates cortisol levels and supports the nervous system due to its rich content of vitamin B.

In addition, oats help maintain internal homeostasis, are relaxing, improve digestion and support liver health. All these effects contribute to a peaceful and restful sleep.

Don’t forget: eat a bowl of warm oatmeal every night for an hour or two before bed to enjoy all the benefits I have presented above.