An ounce of cashews (about a handful) has 157 calories, which isn’t a bad snack just before bed. Most of those calories are from unsaturated fats, which is good for lowering your cholesterol. Even though you’ll have less than 2 grams of sugar, you won’t have to worry about any blood sugar spikes because of the 5 grams of protein and about a gram of fiber to slow down digestion. The key nutrient in cashews is 83 milligrams of magnesium. That’s about 20% of your recommended daily amount.
Magnesium is a mineral that can help sleep in a few ways. It binds to the GABA receptors in your body to calm your nervous system. Magnesium also relaxes your muscles by reducing the calcium in your muscle cells. A lack of magnesium in your diet could lower levels of melatonin that helps you sleep. On the other hand, magnesium might also reduce cortisol levels in your system.
A 2022 study in Sleep asked people about their diet and intake of magnesium. Those who had the most magnesium in their diets reported better sleep quality and were less likely to sleep fewer than seven hours a night.
