Skip to main content
Facebook Twitter RSS
Labette Health

Health library

Eat better to sleep better

Feb. 20, 2025—Do you spend hours tossing and turning during the night? Wake up tired every morning? Yawn throughout the day?

It might be your diet. According to research by the Sleep Foundation, poor nutrition may contribute to sleep problems.

Unhealthy eating can contribute to insomnia. It also contributes to obesity, which increases your risk of developing sleep problems like obstructive sleep apnea. Plus, if you eat too much close to bedtime, it can throw off your body's wake-sleep cycle (circadian rhythm) and cause disruptive indigestion, acid reflux and heartburn.

Research shows that healthy and well-balanced eating habits, like those in Mediterranean-style diets or the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, are ideal for good sleep—and for a healthy life.

That means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, beans and legumes, lean meats, and reduced-fat dairy products.

Eat better for better sleep

These specific foods may help you have more restful nights:

  • Foods that contain tryptophan, such as turkey, cheese, eggs, soy products, and nuts and seeds. Tryptophan is an amino acid needed to produce melatonin and serotonin hormones, which are essential for sleep.
  • Foods rich in B vitamins, including meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, potatoes, and fortified breads and cereals. B vitamins, especially B12 and B6, help regulate sleep hormones.
  • Kiwis and tart cherries, which can increase serotonin levels and may help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep.
  • Fatty and oily fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, trout and mackerel. In addition to being packed with B vitamins, they're also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and zinc, all of which contribute to better sleep.

On the flip side, these eating habits can negatively affect your sleep quality:

  • Consuming high-fat foods, particularly those high in saturated fat.
  • Eating foods that contain a lot of sugar.
  • Not getting enough fiber every day.
  • Eating too many carbs and not enough healthy fats.
  • Drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages two or three hours before bedtime.
  • Snacking between meals or skipping meals.

Are you dreaming of more restful nights? Switching up your eating habits may be a game-changer—for better sleep and a healthier you. That's a win-win for sure.

Want more tips? Learn additional ways to get better ZZZs.

Sources

Read more breaking news Related stories