Pistachios have long been seen as one of the most popular nuts around.
People love pistachios, as they can enjoy cracking open their shells and enjoying their sweet and nutty flavors.
These nuts can even be seasoned in many ways to create distinct flavors.
But you might be surprised at how good pistachios can be for your health.
Pistachios contain fibers to keep your appetite under control, plus they feature healthy fats that will keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control.
But do pistachios help you sleep? You may be surprised at what you will learn here.
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Do Pistachios Help You Sleep?
The answer to that question is yes! Pistachios will help you sleep, as they contain nutrients that will help you sleep through the night.
It doesn’t mean that eating pistachios will make you feeling tired during the day.
This is because pistachios help you sleep well at night by providing your body what it needs for a good night sleep.
And since a good night sleep is essential for feeling energetic during the day, eating pistachios might increase your energy level during your daily activities.
Is There Melatonin In Pistachios?
Pistachios do contain melatonin, a hormone necessary for a healthy sleep pattern.
But melatonin doesn’t force you to get to sleep.
Melatonin helps you fall asleep faster while boosting the quality of your sleep.
It helps your body become used to a natural sleep pattern.
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in your pineal gland, a gland in the brain that regulates your sleep pattern.
It identifies the light-dark cycle in your environment and uses that information to produce melatonin.
Melatonin produces signals in your body letting you know when it is time to sleep based on when it is light or dark outside.
It eases you into sleep in the evening as your body temperature and heart rate both start to decline.[1]
Eating pistachios during the day won’t cause you to become tired. Pistachios help keep your melatonin stores in check.
But Do Pistachios Contain More Melatonin Than Other Foods?
Pistachios contain significantly more melatonin than many other foods.
One study from Louisiana State University finds that one gram of pistachios contains about 660 ng of melatonin.
This is in comparison with cereals that can have up to 125 ng of melatonin per gram, or vegetables with up to about 18 ng per gram.[2]
Another report in the journal Nutrients found that one gram of pistachios has 228,400 ng of melatonin.[3]
There is a dispute over precisely how much melatonin pistachios have.
But you’ll find they contain more than most of the other things you might find in your daily diet.
Will The Pistachios Lose Their Melatonin If They Are Roasted?
Don’t worry about whether you’ll enjoy the same sleep benefits of pistachios after you roast them. Roasting does not impact how much melatonin is in your pistachios.[4]
Why Do Pistachios Help You Sleep?
In addition to being a rich source of melatonin, pistachios also contain an extensive assortment of other sleep-inducing nutrients.
Such nutrients are critical to helping you get to sleep, as they help you manage your sleep cycle.
Proper food consumption prompts additional blood flow to help absorb and transport the nutrients one consumes.
The additional blood flow means less flow will move towards the brain, so less glucose is transported to help the body stay functional.
The effort causes you to get to sleep. By sleeping, you are supporting your body’s natural digestive pattern.
What Nutrients Found In Pistachios Help You Get To Sleep?
You can get closer to attaining a healthy sleep habit with pistachios, especially since they contain more of the nutrients you need each day.
A daily serving of pistachios include the following[5]:
- Magnesium – 40 mg (about 10% of your daily recommended amount)
- Potassium – 338 mg (about 10%)
- Vitamin B6 – 0.6 mg (about 33%)
- Folate – 17 mcg (4%)
- Melatonin – 99 ng
- Tryptophan – 38 mg (about 11%)
Here’s a closer look at why each of these nutrients in pistachios can help you get to sleep:
Potassium
Potassium regulates the intensity of REM sleep and the overall duration of sleep.
REM sleep is critical to helping restore your body’s natural energy stores, so getting enough REM sleep each night is critical to your health.[6]
Proper potassium levels in your body will also improve your sleep efficiency.
This measure entails the percentage of time you are sleeping versus how much time you spend in bed.[7]
Potassium also reduces the risk of muscle cramping.
Muscle cramps might be painful and can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
These include leg cramps that cause the leg to tighten.
The issue may develop from hypokalemia, a condition where you have low potassium levels in your blood.[8]
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral found in various nuts, including the pistachio.
Magnesium helps your body to relax, giving you more control over getting to sleep.
Magnesium can reduce anxiety symptoms, helping your mind to calm before sleeping.[9]
Magnesium activates protein receptors that regulate GABA levels.[10]
GABA is a hormone that blocks brain signals and reduces nervous system activity.
Magnesium can also reduce the symptoms of mild to moderate Restless Leg Syndrome.
Magnesium reduces the occasion leg movements that occur due to RLS.[11]
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is often associated with turkey, but pistachios also contain a high amount of tryptophan.
Tryptophan delays the onset of sleep, boosts your sleep duration, and enhances the quality of your sleep.
Tryptophan is also one of the body’s eight essential amino acids.
Like the other seven amino acids, tryptophan is only attainable through a diet due to how your body doesn’t naturally produce it to meet your demand.
The amino acid will create serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is converted to melatonin to induce sleep.
Your brain’s ability to naturally produce serotonin declines with age, so additional tryptophan consumption is necessary for your health.[12]
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine or vitamin B6 helps produce blood cells and triggers metabolic efforts in your body.
But it also helps improve your sleep quality.
Vitamin B6 converts tryptophan into serotonin, allowing the brain to progress into the REM stage of sleep.
A person will have an easier time getting to sleep, while that person can also recall more dream content on average.[13]
Combining the Nutrients Together
Your sleep patterns will improve when you combine all these nutrients. You can do this by incorporating pistachios into your diet.
You will find three great positives when you combine all these nutrients:
- You’ll have an easier time getting to sleep.
- The quality of your sleep will also improve.
- You will feel more alert in the morning after a good night’s sleep.[14]
- You won’t feel intense hunger that can keep you from getting to sleep. The proteins and fibers in pistachios will help you feel full.
How Many Pistachios Should You Eat For A Better Sleep?
You must be cautious when eating pistachios, as it can be tough to stop eating them after you start.
30 grams or a quarter of a cup of pistachios each day will help you get to sleep. The total is equal to about two ounces of pistachios.
Be cautious, though, as pistachios are high in calories like other nuts.
Consuming excess amounts of pistachios may make it harder to sleep, especially if you have them right before bedtime.
The good news is that pistachios can take a while to consume.
Each one is filled with intense flavor that ensures you don’t have to eat several of them at a time.
Do Pistachios Help You Sleep If You Eat Them Before Bed?
One question you might have involves when should you eat pistachios before bed.
While it is acceptable to eat them before sleeping, you need to consume them a few hours beforehand for the best result.
Stop eating pistachios three to four hours before going to bed. As appealing as an evening snack might sound, it can disturb your ability to sleep.
Pistachios contain high amounts of fat.
The excess fat will relax your lower esophageal sphincter muscle, a muscle that closes the esophagus and prevents food from moving back up.[15]
You may develop acid reflux if you lie down, as the undigested pistachios and other foods can move up the esophagus.
The acid will irritate the lining in the esophagus, causing heartburn.
How Long Before Bedtime Should You Eat Pistachios?
You can enjoy pistachios at least five hours before going to bed. Try them out around that time to see how well they can impact your sleeping efforts.
You can try eating pistachios a little later each time if you find it easy for you to sleep.
But watch for whether you notice any acid reflux issues and change your patterns based on whatever happens.
Additional Health Benefits of Pistachios
As you can see from these details, it’s easy to enjoy the health benefits of pistachios.
But have you taken a look at the other health benefits of pistachios?
Aid In Weight Loss
It is true that pistachios are high in calories and contain fats.
But pistachios can also help you lose weight when you eat them right.
A 2020 report in the Nutrients journal says that by consuming 1.5 ounces or 42 grams of pistachios a day, you can increase your fiber intake.
You will also consume fewer sugars, as the fiber helps you stay full.[16]
A separate 2020 study in the Appetite journal says that consuming about 44 grams of pistachios each day for twelve weeks improves the body’s satiety level by keeping it from being excessive.[17]
Satiety refers to the body being fed to its fullest capacity.
This point works if you are responsible when enjoying your pistachios.
Be sure when consuming pistachios that you avoid excess amounts and stick with the recommended daily total of about two ounces each day.
Help To Control Blood Sugar Level
Pistachios can also help to control your blood sugar levels.
A 2014 report in the Review of Diabetic Studies says that consuming 25 grams of pistachios each day helps diabetic patients keep their blood sugar levels under control.
It reduces systolic blood pressure levels without negatively influencing insulin resistance levels.[18]
Pistachios will also reduce the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women.
Pistachio consumption is especially effective during the 24th to 28th gestational weeks during one’s pregnancy.[19]
Improving Gut Bacteria
Pistachios have prebiotic characteristics in many forms:
- Pistachios contain fiber, a non-digestible compound that stays in the gut and feeds natural bacteria in the area. The fiber helps improves satiety.
- Pistachios have phytochemicals that can influence microbiota composition. The microbiota can help process nutrients in the body.
- The good bacteria that pistachios help produce will limit the development of lactic acid bacteria. Lactic acid can cause fatigue and muscle pains.[20]
May Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease
Multiple studies show that pistachios are among the most heart-healthy nuts you can enjoy. Here are a few points to note:
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that pistachios can reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 11%. LDL cholesterol is a bad form of cholesterol that produces plaques in your arteries.[21]
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also writes that pistachio consumption can reduce both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Pistachios are more effective in reducing blood pressure levels than other nuts like cashews, almonds, and walnuts.[22]
- Pistachios are among the most stable nuts around. Dry roasting or lightly salting these nuts will not negatively impact their cardiovascular benefits.[23][24]
Pistachios Are A Complete Protein
The last point to see about pistachios is that pistachios are a complete protein. A complete protein contains all the amino acids your body needs.
Pistachios contain a suitable amount of each essential amino acid. The totals are good for people three years of age or older.[25]
Pistachios are among the easiest complete proteins to consume. Various other complete proteins are meats or grains that take a while to prepare and cook.
A Final Word
You will find it is easy for you to get a good night’s sleep with pistachios.
Pistachios are among the best foods that help you sleep through the night.
Those asking ‘do pistachios help you sleep’ will find these include the necessary nutrients the body requires for a healthy night’s sleep.
Be sure you plan your consumption of pistachios right and that you follow a suitable diet to go alongside your pistachios.
You’ll find these are ideal and delicious sleep-inducing foods.
