The Sandpoint Eater: Sweet dreams

By Marcia Pilgeram
Reader Columnist

Last month, in Dublin, I stayed at The Merrion Hotel, a beautifully restored Georgian townhouse, where I had my first night’s rest in ages. I swear it was the most comfortable bed upon which I have ever laid my weary head (sorry Davenport Hotel, you’ve fallen to second place). It was tall and firm, yet super cozy and, by departure time, I was ready to lend my testimony to the Irish mattress company. Right then, I determined my first order of business when I returned home was a new mattress.

A lot has happened in the world of mattresses since my last purchase nearly 30 years ago. You can buy beds with adjustable settings, memory foam and pillow tops. There are hybrids to help side sleepers and those seeking pain relief. The number of options was surprising — and, I learned, so were the price tags. So, reluctantly, I would put off the large mattress purchase for now.

I left the mattress store determined to do more research and find some alternate remedies for my poor sleeping habits. I’ve always been an early riser, rising at about four every morning. It was a great schedule back in my professional baking days, and the plan still suits me well, as I work with travel suppliers in Europe before their day ends. Except now, I have developed a terrible habit of waking in the middle of the night. 

It started two years ago, and I blame COVID for this disorder. I’ve tried every remedy I can think of to lull me back to sleep, including the Calm app, breathing exercises, meditating and counting proverbial flocks of Irish sheep.

Sometimes, I give up and get up to read, write or even start a cooking project.

I scoured the internet for remedies, including mattress hacks. For whatever reason, it never occurred to me to flip my mattress, which seemed like a great place to start. I could give another testimonial (or warning): Mattress flipping requires two people.

My flipping mimicked an episode of I Love Lucy. At one point I was wedged with the mattress, between success and failure (the wall and the windows). The top king mattress balanced in precarious limbo for what seemed like forever — giving me time to ponder the cost of a new bed vs. a new window — before I managed to slide it into place.

I purchased new bedding, overpriced pillows and a Woozoo fan for white noise to celebrate my success. However, as a whole night’s sleep eludes me, I’ve been researching what to eat and avoid. Foods with sleep-inducing tryptophan include nuts, seeds, tofu, cheese, red meat, turkey, fish, eggs and oats. Many of these foods, especially nuts, are also rich in melatonin, another known sleep enhancer.

Though there are plenty of things I enjoy on the abovementioned list, many of my favorite items are unfortunately riding high on the forbidden list: guilty pleasures such as spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. The list of things to avoid for a good night’s rest also include natural diuretics like watermelon and celery, which invariably will make for a midnight call to the bathroom.

Maybe this business of interrupted sleep comes with reaching a new level of maturity. I hear friends commiserating about sleepless nights, too. Occasionally, when I finally resort to picking up my iPhone (shameful, I know) for a game of Wordle or NYT Spelling Bee, I see plenty of familiar names who also have their eyes wide open.

Well-meaning friends suggest my travel schedule compromises my sleep schedule, but it doesn’t make much difference, here or there (wherever it happens). Speaking of “there,” I’m packing my bags for a travel show in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ll be meeting with travel suppliers from all over South America, learning about cruises in Antarctica and on the Amazon, jungle tours in Peru, carnival life in Rio de Janeiro and my niche, culinary focused tours, all throughout South America. 

One of the things I do to plan for long flights (10 hours from Atlanta to Buenos Aires) is packing some of my snacks, like dried fruits, dark chocolate and nuts. My favorite go-to is roasted almonds, and one of my favorite ways to prepare them is with freshly minced rosemary, coarse sea salt and good olive oil.

One hosted evening in Buenos Aires includes a dinner and tango show at a restaurant renowned for beef asado and provoleta (grilled cheese). Lucky for me, red meat and cheese are both on the go-to-for-sleep list, and I can’t wait to feast on these local foods and culture. 

From there, I’ll head back to my hotel. Hopefully, by eating a good measure of melatonin and tryptophan-rich almonds with my nightcap, I’ll create a good (and restful) balance. Sweet dreams.

Rosemary roasted almonds • These almonds are delicious served warmed, the perfect accoutrement for charcuterie or standalone to enjoy with cocktails. Pack up a few for a picnic, or a pocketful for a hike. Warning: Super addictive! Makes 3 cups.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of whole raw almonds (I like Costco’s)

• 1 ½ tbs extra virgin olive oil (fresh new bottle)

• 1 tsp Maldon sea salt flakes

• 1 tsp fresh, finely minced rosemary (a medium sprig, strip leaves from sprig)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (make sure one oven rack is placed near top, and one near bottom).

Mince rosemary as fine as possible, place in a large bowl, add almonds and olive oil. Toss with hands to make sure the almonds are all well coated. 

Spread out on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Place on top shelf of oven for 10 minutes, and remove, give pan a shake or two to release any almonds stuck to the pan, then place on bottom shelf for an additional 10 minutes (keep an eye on the almonds and don’t let them get too brown, as cooking time can vary depending on your oven).

Remove from oven. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.