Cookies N’ Dreams? Sonesta Hotels Offer Guests Sleep-Friendly Ice Cream

While many sleep deprived travelers may want something sweet to snack on  after dinner, eating the wrong snack could actually mess with sleep. But if ice cream and sleep doesn’t seem like a snooze-worthy combo, Dr. Lauren Broch says science can back it all up. As one of the Nutrition and Sleep Experts for Nightfood products, she makes sure the snacks won’t impact a traveler’s sleep. But how? We asked Broch to fill us in:

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Q: How can the right snack before bed help you sleep?

Broch: “What you eat before bed matters.  Anything you eat at night can impact your sleep, for better or worse.  So, if you’re going to snack at night, you want to be sure to avoid those things that can disrupt sleep quality and seek out better choices.  Knowing that most people snack at night pretty regularly, offering Nightfood as an option gives guests sleep-friendly versions of what research shows consistently are the top nighttime snacking favorites:  ice cream, chips, cookies, and similar choices.”

Q: Can you talk about what makes your ice cream sleep-worthy?

Broch: “Compared to traditional ice cream, Nightfood has about 70% less sugar, 60% fewer calories, about twice the protein, plus lots of prebiotic fiber, added calcium, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6.  Nightfood also has about twice as much tryptophan than regular ice cream, which the body uses to make melatonin.”

Q: So I now better understand the ice cream benefits, but what types of foods should travelers avoid before going to bed?

Broch: At night, we naturally crave snacks that are high in sugar, fat, and calories. Unfortunately, those are also the things we should be avoiding since the bloated and full feeling and the load on digestion can disrupt the sleep process.  Anything spicy or highly acidic should be avoided since it can cause reflux, and caffeine also because it is alerting.   Many travelers may turn to a “night cap” before heading to bed but alcohol before bed should also be avoided as it tends to disrupt sleep for a variety of reasons including the way it is metabolized and its effects on blood sugar. 

Q: Can sleep be more challenging for travelers? If so, why is that so — and any tips for the on-the-go vacationer?  

Broch: “Sleep can definitely be more challenging for travelers.  Travel typically brings stressful situations, disrupted schedules, and new environments.   The well-studied “first night effect” tells us that in a new environment, part of the brain may try to stay alert and monitor the environment for danger, even while you sleep.   Sleep tips during travel would include plenty of hydration, keeping your hotel room cool and dark, taking advantage of amenities like earplugs, eye masks, and white noise machines — and, of course, making sleep-friendly nutritional choices.”

To learn more about Sonesta or book a stay, please visit Sonesta.com.

Disclaimer: this content is from one of our content partners via the broadry content network. If you click a link in this article, we may earn a commission.