Whether we like it or not, being a college student forces us to be night owls. Working late shifts, pulling late study hours or nights out with our friends, we sure do see a lot of the moon, maybe more so than the sun. If we’re awake during the hours we should be sleeping our body still needs to be fueled, which means our stomachs will probably rumble, at least mine does.
For whatever reason, when I ‘m awake I catch myself needing a snack before bed. I always scold myself for doing so, which is why I decided to do some in depth research on guilt free midnight snacks that also induce your dreams and help you achieve a more restful sleep.
But first, lets talk about dream inducing sleep aids!
Melatonin is a hormone that is made in the pineal gland, a little gland in your brain. Melatonin helps control your sleep cycle which is great to help control the sleep patterns for all the late night shift workers.
Frankincense is an essential oil that is naturally calming and induces dreaming. Similar to melatonin this oil is recommended for stimulating the pineal gland. This oil has many benefits and can be used on the skin or as an aid in aromatherapy. You can order it off at Amazon at an inexpensive price!
Tryptophan can be found in foods that help relieve stress and anxiety by reacting with serotonin, a neurotransmitter that contributes to our stress patterns.
Vitamin B6 will give the reaction between tryptophan into serotonin. It’s a little boost, which has shown results for more vivid dreams.
Now, let’s talk recipes!!
Sweet ‘n’ Cozy Oatmeal
½ Cup oatmeal (Tryptophan and Melatonin)
1 Cup water
2-3 drops Frankincense oil
¼ cup dried apricots (Tryptophan)
Bring water to a boil then stir in oats. Once oats are cooked add frankincense oil and dried apricots. A dash of cinnamon and or sugar won’t hurt if preferred sweet.
Midnight Mozzarella Tuna Melt
1 can light tuna (Vitamin B6)
2 slices of wheat bread
1 slice Mozzarella cheese (Tryptophan)
1 tbsp. of low-fat mayonnaise
1 tbsp. of chopped celery
1 tbsp. pesto
Mix tuna, mayonnaise, celery, and pesto in bowl. Spread tuna mixture on one slice of bread, on the other slice place cheese. Cook on medium heat until lightly browned on both sides.
Frozen Bedtime Banana
2/3 cup Yoplait® 99% Fat Free creamy strawberry or creamy strawberry banana yogurt (from 2-lb container)
3 cups Cheerios™ cereal (Tryptophan)
4 firm ripe bananas (Tryptophan, Melatonin, and Vitamin B6)
8 craft sticks (flat wooden sticks with round ends)
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Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In shallow dish, place yogurt. In another shallow dish, place cereal.
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Peel bananas; cut each banana crosswise in half. Insert wooden stick into cut end of each banana half. Roll each banana half in yogurt, then in cereal to coat. Place on cookie sheet. Freeze about 1 hour or until firm.
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Wrap each banana in plastic wrap or foil. Store in freezer.