Experience Improved Sleepuals Rest in merely a day through Diet alterations
A new study led by a team of U.S. researchers suggests that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates could be a natural, cost-effective approach to achieving better sleep. The study, published in Sleep Health, involved tracking sleep fragmentation with wrist monitors in 34 healthy young adults over a period of time.
The findings indicate that people who eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables tend to have deeper, more uninterrupted sleep. Specifically, a 2025 study showed that each 5-cup increase in daily fruit and vegetable intake corresponded to a 16% reduction in sleep fragmentation, a marker of disrupted sleep.
Certain fruits, such as tart cherries, pineapple, oranges, bananas, and kiwis, have sleep-enhancing properties. Tart cherries contain melatonin and other compounds that reduce insomnia symptoms, while pineapple, oranges, and bananas boost melatonin production approximately two hours after consumption. Kiwis have been shown to improve sleep onset, duration, and quality when eaten before bedtime.
In addition to their sleep-promoting properties, fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber linked to better sleep. Nutrients like tryptophan (found in some nuts and seeds) and magnesium (present in cashews) can support the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin, key regulators of sleep.
Moreover, consuming more healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, also benefits sleep quality. Leafy greens, high in magnesium, promote good sleep quality. The study's findings reinforce a previous study that found a link between increased fiber and better sleep.
While the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables for sleep quality are promising, some research highlights that dietary effects on sleep may be influenced by overall factors such as obesity, and more evidence is needed to fully establish causality.
The researchers plan to conduct further studies to establish causation and broaden the findings of the study. The study was also published in UChicago Medicine and Cleveland Clinic.
In summary, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption appears to improve multiple aspects of sleep quality, partly through sleep hormone modulation and reducing sleep fragmentation. Fruits with natural melatonin and related compounds offer added benefits for insomnia and sleep duration. A regular diet rich in complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables may be a simple, cost-effective approach to long-term sleep health.
[1] Study published on the effects of diet on sleep quality: https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(21)00093-4/fulltext [2] Sleep-enhancing properties of certain fruits: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5673426/ [3] Connection between diet and sleep quality: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551589/ [4] Dietary effects on sleep may be influenced by overall factors: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7356086/
- The science of health-and-wellness suggests that a regular diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates may contribute to deeper, more uninterrupted sleep, thus promoting overall health and wellness.
- Fruits such as tart cherries, pineapple, oranges, bananas, and kiwis, due to their sleep-enhancing properties, can aid in improving sleep quality by reducing sleep fragmentation and improving sleep onset, duration, and quality.
- Incorporating fitness-and-exercise, along with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates, along with proper nutrition, can lead to better sleep and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.
