The Sandpoint Eater Sweet dreams

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 cele- brate 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.