Dietitian explains how eating pumpkin seeds before bed may support better sleep and ease insomnia naturally at night

From hindustantimes.com

                                            Pumpkin seeds are nutritious and offer a slew of health benefits.(Pexels)

Struggling with sleepless nights has become increasingly common, with stress, screen time, and anxiety disrupting natural sleep patterns. Insomnia is characterised by poor-quality rest, difficulty falling asleep, or waking up exhausted despite having enough sleep. Nutrient-dense foods, such as pumpkin seeds, may benefit consumption before bed, as they provide magnesium, tryptophan, and zinc, which may help relax the body and promote better sleep.

Dietitian Eshanka Wahi, a Dubai & Delhi-based Culinary Nutritionist, Holistic Wellness Coach, and Founder of Eat Clean With Eshanka, tells HealthShots that the importance of a holistic approach lies in adopting sleep-supporting habits in both the kitchen and the bedroom. Although not a miracle solution, pumpkin seeds align with Dietician Eshanka's "Eat Clean" approach, promoting natural sleep through functional nutrition. When paired with habits such as reducing screen time and managing stress, these simple dietary tweaks can improve sleep quality, making nights more restful and mornings more refreshing.

What are the benefits of eating pumpkin seeds?

• Magnesium (relaxer): One of the most critical minerals for relaxation. It helps you fall asleep by relaxing your muscles, lowering stress levels, and calming your nerves. You may experience restless or poor sleep when your magnesium levels are low. Pumpkin seeds are an excellent bedtime snack since they are naturally high in magnesium.
• Tryptophan (melatonin maker): It aids in the production of serotonin, a hormone that promotes happiness and calmness. Melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle, is subsequently produced from serotonin. Tryptophan-rich foods, such as pumpkin seeds, can naturally improve your quality of sleep.
• Zinc (cycle regulator): Zinc helps your body sleep better by working with magnesium and melatonin. It helps maintain your sleep pattern and promotes brain health. You can sleep more deeply and wake up feeling more rested if you have enough zinc.
• Iron (restlessness preventer): Low iron levels may cause restless legs, frequent night-time awakenings, and difficulty falling asleep. Plant-based iron found in pumpkin seeds aids in the body's oxygen transport and lessens iron deficiency-related sleep issues.
• Healthy fats and protein ( sugar stabiliser): Plant protein and healthy fats included in pumpkin seeds help maintain stable blood sugar levels while you sleep. Anxiety, cravings, or restlessness might result from abrupt reductions in blood sugar at night. This can be avoided, and a more restful, undisturbed sleep can be supported by eating a small handful of pumpkin seeds before bed.
• Together, these nutrients make pumpkin seeds a natural, food-based ally for improving sleep quality.

"Sleep snack": Tip by Nutritionist Eshanka Wahi

Dietitian Eshanka Wahi quotes that, “A small portion of pumpkin seeds, consumed at the right time, can make a noticeable difference in sleep quality, supporting relaxation and restorative rest naturally.”

• Dosage: A small handful (1–2 tablespoons) is sufficient.
• Timing: Consume 30–60 minutes before bed—the "Golden Window" for optimal effect.
• Preparation Ideas: Eat raw, lightly roasted (without heavy salt), or sprinkle on yoghurt for added texture and nutrition.

FAQ’s: Pumpkin seeds for sleep

How many pumpkin seeds should I eat before bed?

A small handful (1–2 tablespoons) is enough for sleep benefits.

When is the best time to eat them?

30-60 minutes before bedtime, during the “Golden Window.”

Should the seeds be raw or roasted?

Both work; lightly roasted without heavy salt is ideal.

Can pumpkin seeds replace other sleep remedies?

No, they complement good sleep hygiene and lifestyle changes, not replace them.

(Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.)

https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/dietitian-explains-how-eating-pumpkin-seeds-before-bed-may-support-better-sleep-and-ease-insomnia-naturally-at-night-101766494901189.html

Could all the 'helpful' advice you've been given about sleep be wrong? Sleep expert debunks 10 popular myths

From countryfile.com

From caffeine and naps to stress and snoring, we separate sleep science from stubborn sleep myths 

Here sleep expert Kathryn Pinkham, founder of the Insomnia Clinic. unpacks 10 of the most common sleep myths — and explains what really matters when it comes to getting better rest.

10 sleep myths

You can’t drink caffeine if you want to sleep well

Caffeine can affect sleep if consumed late afternoon or too close to bedtime, but moderate intake earlier in the day usually isn’t a problem for the majority of people. In fact, if you are sleeping poorly and making changes based on a cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia programme, caffeine can be a good way to help you stay on track and reset your body clock. 

It’s more about timing than total avoidance.

Everyone needs 8 hours of sleep

Sleep needs vary. If we focus too much on how many hours we get rather than the quality, we become hypervigilant about sleep, leading to lighter, more disrupted sleep. Focus on how you feel during the day rather than the number on the clock.

Snoring is harmless

Occasional light snoring isn’t usually a concern, but loud or persistent snoring could indicate a medical issue like sleep apnoea. This means you will struggle to go into deeper stages of sleep, leaving you feeling more exhausted during the day.

Alcohol can help you drift off more easily

This is true- alcohol can make you feel drowsy, but it fragments sleep, leading to more awakenings later. A nightcap now and then is ok, but if you are relying on alcohol to fall asleep, then it’s time to investigate CBT-I for more sustainable, long-term tools. 

Sleep before midnight is better than after

It is normal to find that deeper, more restorative sleep happens in the first few hours after you fall asleep, but this doesn’t mean it has to be before midnight. In fact, going to bed too early is one of the main drivers of insomnia, as we haven’t built up a strong enough ‘appetite’ for sleep, so often a slightly later bedtime is better.

You can train yourself to need less sleep

Chronic sleep deprivation is harmful. Trying to survive on too little sleep only increases fatigue and stress, so even if life is busy, there are small changes you can make to improve your sleep.

Naps can help you catch up on lost sleep

This is true- but there are some rules!

Short naps (20–30 minutes) can boost energy and mood without disrupting your night. The key is to keep them brief and avoid late-afternoon naps; otherwise, you might find it even harder to drop off, or you’ll wake in the night. 

You need a long wind-down routine to relax before bed

While enjoying your evening and doing things you find relaxing can help to build foundations for good sleep, overly long or rigid routines can create pressure and anxiety about sleep. Keep it simple. If you enjoy having a bath or a cup of chamomile tea, then go for it, but if you are doing this to try and force sleep, it can end up working against you.

Insomnia is triggered by stress

Stress can trigger sleep problems, but ongoing insomnia is often maintained by worry about sleep itself, so we get stuck in a cycle of worry, causing sleep issues and then worrying about the sleep.

We break this cycle by focusing on the habits and thoughts which maintain the cycle. 

If you can function on little sleep, you’re fine

Even if you feel alert, short sleep can affect memory, mood, immune function, and overall health. Prioritising good sleep consistently is important, so if you are struggling to sleep well, then look into CBT for insomnia as this is an evidence-based method proven to help the majority of those who sleep poorly.

https://www.countryfile.com/health/sleep-myths

Neither walking nor lifting weights—this exercise is the one that most improves sleep

From eladelantado.com

Remember when you were a child, playing all day long, and at the end of the day, you would take a bath, put on your pyjamas, and go to bed to sleep like a log? Those times were much simpler… At least when it came to falling asleep. But we reach adulthood, and our minds race with daily responsibilities.

Insomnia is one of the greatest plagues afflicting modern humans. We can spend hours tossing and turning in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. Such is the urgent need to fall into the arms of Morpheus that taking melatonin just before bedtime has become normal. 

                                                        Neither walking nor lifting weights—this exercise is the one that most improves sleep 

If you don’t want to give up and start taking medication on a regular basis, there are still ways to channel all our energy into getting tired and reaching bedtime ready to rest as soon as we lay our heads on the pillow.

Best of all, there’s no need to start intense exercise or even sign up for an expensive gym membership.

Improving sleep

To perform this exercise, all we need to do is roll out a yoga mat. Then, we lie down and let ourselves be carried away by our breathing. Although it may seem silly, a meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials revealed that regular high-intensity yoga is associated with improved sleep.

Yoga was found to be more effective than walking, resistance training, combined exercise, aerobic exercise, or even traditional Chinese exercises such as Tai Chi. These trials were conducted in more than a dozen countries and involved 2,500 participants of all ages who had suffered from sleep disorders.

The group of researchers from Harbin Sport University in China soon hit upon the key: it seems that high-intensity yoga, done twice a week in 30-minute sessions, was the best antidote to sleep deprivation. Close behind in effectiveness was walking. Going for a walk every day. Positive results in just eight to 10 weeks.

However, when attempts have been made to replicate the findings, they have been somewhat inconsistent; a 2025 meta-analysis found that aerobic exercise and moderate-intensity exercise three times a week was the most effective way to improve sleep quality in people with chronic insomnia.

However, yoga continued to have more significant effects on sleep outcomes. This is because yoga is difficult to classify as aerobic or anaerobic, as its intensity can vary widely depending on the technique used. What we can be sure of is that any type of daily exercise will make it easier to fall asleep.

Yoga benefits

Yoga can not only increase your heart rate and help strengthen your muscles, but it can also regulate your breathing. Actively controlling your breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is actively involved in rest and digestion. Other studies even suggest that yoga regulates brain wave activity patterns, which could promote deeper sleep.

Something we don’t often consider is the quality of our sleep. External factors such as random as alcohol consumption or heavy dinners just before bedtime can seriously worsen the quality of our sleep. However, one of the biggest culprits of insomnia in the West is smartphones. It has been proven that looking at screens that emit blue light disrupts our circadian cycle, as they inhibit the organized secretion of melatonin.

If you feel like you can’t fall asleep at night, we recommend that you stop looking at your phone at least an hour before going to bed. By being alone with our own thoughts, we can process all the emotions we have been repressing during the day.

In addition, our brain will be able to rest from all the doomscrolling we are doing on apps that have been psychologically designed to capture your attention, even when you are exhausted and just want to sleep.

https://eladelantado.com/en/exercise-improves-sleep/

Doctor explains the key difference between having insomnia and struggling to sleep

From ladbible.com 

She also shared 'sleep hygiene' tips for the festive period

A doctor has explained how to know if you're just having a bad night's sleep or if you need to seek medical advice.

Sleep is a vital thing, people can generally only go for so long without it before dying, and getting enough sleep each night is critical for all sorts of aspects of health.

As such, insomnia is a terrible thing to live with and people struggling with their sleep might be worried wondering whether or not they've ended up developing it if they're having a horrid time getting some much-needed shut eye.

                                                                                        Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Dr Clare Rooms, a GP and the Clinical Lead for Insomnia at Boots Online Doctor, laid out how you can tell the difference between 'the odd bad night's sleep' and the sleep disorder insomnia.

She said: "Most people will experience the odd bad night’s sleep - often triggered by everyday stress, changes to routine, or late nights over the festive period - but that in itself doesn’t mean you have insomnia.

"The key difference comes down to how long the sleep disturbances last and the impact they have on daily life.

"Short-term sleep struggles usually improve once the trigger passes, but insomnia is a recognised sleep disorder. It involves problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early at least three nights a week for three months or more, and it also affects daytime functioning.

"People with insomnia may feel exhausted during daytime, may struggle to concentrate, become irritable, or notice their performance at work or relationships being impacted."

                                     If the disturbance to your sleep is lasting a long time you may have insomnia (Getty Images)

If you're having disrupted sleep then she recommends trying to have a 'consistent wake-up time' as well as cutting down on your alcohol consumption and 'avoiding heavy meals before bedtime' if you can manage it.

The doctor's other health tips for getting a better night's sleep included keeping your bedroom dark and cool at night, while taking in some fresh air and engaging in physical activity during the day.

She urged people who have 'ongoing' sleep disturbances to look for the other signs that you might have insomnia rather than a short-term issue.

These include sleep disruption carrying on far beyond a two-week period and the tiredness from a lack of sleep 'having a noticeable impact on your daily life'.

Making lifestyle improvements and adopting 'sleep hygiene measures' without success were other warning signs, as was 'anxiety building around bedtime' over the worry of 'another sleepless night'.

The doctor said that people suffering from 'persistent sleep disturbances' should speak to their GP.

https://www.ladbible.com/news/health/difference-insomnia-sleep-struggling-advice-303492-20251218

Struggling to Sleep? Experts Say These 10 Common Behaviours Could Be the Real Culprits

From realsimple.com

Some of these behaviours might feel good, but restful sleep is more important 

A good night's sleep is the absolute best form of self-care. But several common night time behaviours may be wrecking your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and consistently get quality rest. Each habit impacts people differently, and some might unexpectedly help you stay asleep. (If you swear scrolling your phone helps you sleep better, don't stress over it.) However, if you’re struggling with a bout of poor sleep, start by eliminating every sleep habit on this list that applies, then add them back one-by-one to find the culprit. We spoke with sleep experts about the worst sleeping habits and how to get back on track.

01of 10

Phone Usage

Several experts agree that it’s a good idea to limit your phone use before bed. “Most people are on their phones or watching late at night, which suppresses melatonin,” sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo explains. This can make it hard for people to fall and stay asleep.

Andrea López-Yianilos, PsyD, says to power down all devices and do something else at least an hour before bed. If you have to be on your phone, you could try blue light blocking glasses or the "Night Shift" (on iPhone), which warms the colours on the display. These steps could reduce the impact of blue light, although studies are inconclusive.

02of 10

Eating or Drinking

Eating or drinking within three hours before bed can make for a restless night. And there’s one beverage (the nightcap) that seems like it helps when it actually doesn’t.

That glass of wine might make you feel drowsy, but if you drink it right before bed, it could mess with your sleep quality by disrupting REM sleep. "When alcohol metabolizes, you get dehydrated," López-Yianilos explains, "So you'll have more fitful sleep."

When it comes to eating, moderation is key. Too much or too little food before bed could impact your sleep quality. Try to schedule meals at least three hours before bedtime, and if you get hungry late at night, stick to a small yet filling snack, like nut butter on crackers, López-Yianilos suggests.

03of 10

Exercising

Avoid working out too close to bedtime because exercise raises your body temperature, López-Yianilos explains, and your body temperature should naturally dip as you get ready to sleep.

However, this doesn’t mean never exercising. Just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity during the day can help you sleep better.

04of 10

Not Winding Down

This bad sleep habit is more about not having a habit at all. We should all set aside some time before bed to wind down. “If you are working, scrolling, cleaning, and planning until the second you get into bed, you can expect to have a hard time falling asleep,” says sleep coach Teresa Power. 

“Like children, adults need both time and routine to prepare for rejuvenating, healthy sleep. Keep in mind, you don't need a 10-step, two-hour bedtime routine, but you do need to give your mind and body time to wind down and relax before sleep.”

Teresa Power recommends setting an alarm at least an hour before you plan to be in bed to finish up the show you're watching, make sure the lights are dim, put your phone aside, start washing up, and do whatever you have time to do to relax yourself.

05of 10

Overthinking

Overthinking (or ruminating) can be a bad habit that is hard to break, but there are several ways to get this under control. For starters, return to your breath. “Breathwork helps distract from your racing thoughts and calm your nervous system to relax your back to sleep,” says Power.

“Nasal breathing specifically increases production and release of nitric oxide, which helps blood, nutrients, and oxygen travel throughout your body.  My favourite breathwork exercises are very simple; try box breathing or the 4-7-8 method.”

06of 10

Staying in Bed

One bad sleep habit people make when they can't fall asleep is staying in bed too long. Here’s what you should do instead, according to Arezzolo:

1. If you are awake longer than 20 minutes, get out of bed.
2. Go into the lounge and put on blue light blocking glasses if you have them. If not, just keep lights down low and avoid devices like the TV or phones.
3. Read, meditate or listen to calming music.
4. Only return to bed when you are just about to fall asleep.

07of 10

Ambient Light

Some people have sheer curtains and have no trouble falling or staying asleep. But if you're struggling with poor sleep quality, consider the ambient lighting in your sleep environment, which can cause all sorts of sleep disturbances. These sources can revolve around other night time habits, like playing video games without fully unplugging the console afterward.

If you live in a city with streetlights or have electronics in your room, light pollution and ambient light exposure might be what is hindering your sleep. To fully darken a room, unplug TVs or devices with lighted panels and install some blackout curtains or blackout roller shades. If there are some lights you can't turn off or block, try a comfortable sleep mask.

08of 10

Inconsistent Sleep Duration

“One mistake I see is inconsistent sleep durations,” explains sleep specialist Nicole Shallow, M.Ed, BCBA.  According to Shallow, you might try sleeping longer some nights to “catch up,” but when you do this, you may see a dip in total sleep, causing night wakings or early wakings.  

Even if you have sleep debt, “the goal is to have [your] average sleep be more consistent every day, with consistent wake-up times, give or take an hour,” says Shallow.

If you are struggling with inconsistent sleep, commit to the same wake-up time all seven days of the week—yes, even over the weekend! "Your bedtime will shift to where it needs to be," López-Yianilos says.

09of 10

Sleep Dependency

Sometimes, we don’t even realize that we depend on something to get to bed. “A common thing I see and experience myself is sleep dependency challenges,” says Shallow. When you always have something, and suddenly it’s not there, it may hinder your sleep quality. 

To address this, Shallow says to notice if anything has changed in the environment from when you fell asleep. “For example, if you fell asleep with a show on, notice if turning that same show on helps you fall back to sleep. In the short term, turning it on could be helpful until you develop a new routine and healthy sleep dependencies.”

10of 10

Sleeping Too Much or Too Little

For Arezzolo, who helps people find their sleep type, another major problem is being uncertain of how many hours of sleep you need. "Some people need 9, others only 7, others 8. The hours are largely dictated by your sleep type (chronotype), which is why it’s so important to know."

Sleeping outside your optimal range can set you up for lower sleep quality and worse brain function. In fact, getting 16 minutes less sleep than you need could result in cognitive interference—or more distractions—the next day.

For reference, Arezzolo says in her book Bear, Lion or Wolf that bears need 9 hours, lions need 7 hours, and wolves need 8 hours. These sleep types also describe when you have the most energy and what times you naturally go to sleep and wake up. 

• Bears have a standard schedule. They are most productive midday, slump in the early afternoon, and like to wind down in the evening.
• Lions are early birds, and they have the most energy in the morning, so they like to go to bed early. 
• Wolves are the typical night owl, liking to stay up late and sleep in late. They are the most productive in the evening. 

Sticking to a routine that caters to your natural cycles can help you improve how long and when you sleep.

https://www.realsimple.com/habits-ruining-your-sleep-11867790