Best meals to eat to ensure sleep on red-eye flight

What are some of the best meals and foods to eat to make sure you fall asleep before a redeye? Alcohol and furtive not included in this conversation, really looking at foods right now.

Cherries contain melatonin, Chamomile tea is a good one, milk always makes me a bit sleepy.

Lane said:
Cherries contain melatonin, Chamomile tea is a good one, milk always makes me a bit sleepy.

I take 4-5 chamomile tea bags in 1 airline coffee cup of hot water and drink that. That really helps me fall asleep.

Turkey, milk, mixed nuts, eggs. They all have tryptophan. Also, tart cherry juice (no added sugar).

Verne said:
Turkey, milk, mixed nuts, eggs. They all have tryptophan. Also, tart cherry juice (no added sugar).

Omg thank you. I’ve been exhausted for the last 10 days and because of your comment I just realized it’s from the nuts I’ve added to my diet!!

Magnesium glycinate is calming. I take 400mg before bed, recommended to me by my cardiologist as it also helps with blood pressure. Try to find tablets. The pills are rather large.

Van said:
Magnesium glycinate is calming. I take 400mg before bed, recommended to me by my cardiologist as it also helps with blood pressure. Try to find tablets. The pills are rather large.

Will these affect bowels too or is that just magnesium citrate?

@Drew
Just citrate.

Spicy curry is probably a bad idea.

Thorne said:
Spicy curry is probably a bad idea.

Sometimes I eat baked beans straight out of the can and wash it down with a big ol’ glass o’ milk. I continually giggle to myself and make furtive, side-eyed glances at my neighbor.

Thorne said:
Spicy curry is probably a bad idea.

So is coconut garlic shrimp.

I would eat something like a turkey wrap or a club sandwich with salad. I would also have some nuts and a granola bar handy for snacking during the flight. I like to comfort munch when I try to relax during the flight.

@Blair
The best part of the flight is getting to eat or snack while watching a movie. After 1 to max 2 movies on long flights, I try to sleep until breakfast/landing.

You’ll probably want foods that are easy to digest, won’t cause bloating, and help you relax.

Grilled chicken with quinoa, Greek yogurt with a banana, oatmeal with almonds, a hard-boiled egg with whole-wheat toast, or cucumber slices with hummus. Chamomile or ginger tea can help, too. Avoid beans, broccoli, soda, fried food, and anything too spicy. Keep it light and stay hydrated!

@Zaren
Quinoa causes a lot of gas in most people and chicken with quinoa has too much protein to help with sleep – protein is more energy intensive to digest than the other macros so you don’t want to overdo it before a flight. What’s wrong with just white rice with your chicken? That’s literally the easiest thing to digest.

@Zaren
Came here to say oatmeal, it makes you feel full but is still easily digestible.

I just eat early, without any specific changes in my diet. Can’t sleep on a full stomach.

Water.

Anything that has, or produces, tryptophan and/or melatonin. Google foods that contain these.

Pistachios have melatonin.