Diet & Sleep Quality (Foods to Eat & Avoid + Tips for Eating Adjustments)

The quality of your sleep is closely linked to what you eat, and making small changes in your diet can lead to significant improvements in your rest.

By choosing the right foods, you can help your body wind down naturally and pave the way for a peaceful night’s sleep.

This isn’t just about avoiding certain foods, but also about actively incorporating those that support relaxation and deep, restorative sleep.

Understanding the relationship between diet and sleep gives you the power to take control of your nights, ensuring you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day:

Relationship Between Nutrition & Sleep

Nutrition and sleep are deeply interconnected, each influencing the other in significant ways. Proper nutrition can enhance sleep quality, while poor dietary habits can disrupt sleep patterns.

For instance, foods rich in tryptophan, magnesium, and melatonin, such as turkey, almonds, and cherries, can promote relaxation and help you fall asleep more easily. On the other hand, consuming caffeine, sugary snacks, or heavy meals before bed can lead to restless nights and poor sleep quality.

The timing of meals also plays a role; eating too close to bedtime can cause indigestion, while going to bed hungry can make it difficult to fall asleep. Additionally, maintaining a balanced diet that supports stable blood sugar levels can prevent nighttime awakenings caused by dips in blood glucose.

Foods That Help You Sleep Well

Certain foods are known to support better sleep due to their natural content of sleep-enhancing nutrients like tryptophan, melatonin, magnesium, and antioxidants.

Here are some sleep-friendly options:

1. Almonds: Rich in magnesium, almonds can help relax muscles and improve sleep quality.
2. Cherries: Especially tart cherries (tart cherry juices), are a natural source of melatonin, which regulates sleep-wake cycles.
3. Turkey: Is high in tryptophan, an amino acid that increases the production of sleep-regulating hormones and induce drowsiness.
4. Kiwi: Packed with antioxidants and serotonin, which may help regulate your sleep cycle and improve sleep duration.
5. Warm Milk: A classic remedy, warm milk contains tryptophan and calcium, which can help relax the body and mind, making it easier to fall asleep.
6. Oatmeal: Rich in melatonin and complex carbohydrates, which can trigger the release of insulin, making tryptophan more available to the brain.
7. Bananas: High in potassium and magnesium, help relax muscles and contain tryptophan, which promotes sleep.
8. Chamomile Tea: Contains antioxidants like apigenin, which bind to certain receptors in the brain, promoting relaxation and reduces insomnia.
9. Fatty Fish: Fish, like salmon, tuna, and mackerel are high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, both of which have been shown to enhance sleep quality.
10. Walnuts: Walnuts provide a good amount of melatonin, which can help you fall asleep faster and improve sleep quality.

Foods That Lower Sleep Quality

Certain foods and beverages can negatively impact your sleep quality, reducing the duration of deep sleep, or making it harder for you to fall asleep in the first place.

Here are some foods that may lower sleep quality:

1. Caffeine-Rich Foods and Drinks: Caffeine in coffee, tea, chocolate, and energy drinks, is a stimulant that can interfere with your ability to fall asleep and keep you up at night. Consuming caffeine late in the day can lead to difficulty sleeping and reduce the amount of deep sleep you get.
2. Sugary Foods: High in sugar, such as candy, cookies, and sugary cereals, which can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. This can lead to restless sleep and awakenings during the night.
3. Spicy Foods: Spicy foods can cause indigestion, heartburn, and acid reflux, especially if eaten close to bedtime. These discomforts make it difficult to fall asleep and may cause nighttime awakenings.
4. Fatty and Fried Foods: Heavy, fatty, and fried foods are hard to digest and can cause discomfort, bloating, and acid reflux, all of which can disturb sleep.
5. Alcohol: While alcohol may make you feel sleepy initially, it can disrupt your sleep cycle by interfering with REM sleep, leading to lighter, less restorative sleep and causing frequent awakenings.
6. Processed Foods: Foods high in artificial additives, preservatives, and unhealthy fats, like fast food, processed snacks, and certain packaged meals, can cause inflammation and digestive discomfort, which may negatively affect sleep.
7. High-Protein Foods Before Bed: Eating large amounts of protein right before bed can take longer to digest, and potentially leading to discomfort and reducing sleep quality.
8. Carbonated Drinks: The carbonation in sodas and sparkling water can cause bloating and discomfort, making it harder to get comfortable and fall asleep. Soda usually contains high levels of sugar as well which may also lead to difficulty sleeping.
9. Citrus Fruits: Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are acidic and can lead to acid reflux, especially if consumed close to bedtime, which can disrupt sleep.

How to Eat Healthy for Better Sleep?

Eating healthy to improve sleep involves making mindful choices about what, when, and how much you eat.

Here are some tips to help you eat in a way that supports better sleep:

Incorporate Sleep-Promoting Nutrients

Tryptophan-Rich Foods: Include foods like turkey, chicken, eggs, nuts, seeds, and bananas, which are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps produce serotonin and melatonin, hormones that regulate sleep.

Magnesium-Rich Foods: Foods such as leafy greens, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and whole grains can help relax muscles and promote sleep.

Melatonin-Rich Foods: Consider eating cherries, grapes, tomatoes, or oats, which contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles.

Balance Your Meals

Complex Carbohydrates: Include whole grains like brown rice, oats, and quinoa in your dinner. Complex carbs help increase the availability of tryptophan in the brain, promoting better sleep.

Healthy Fats: Incorporate sources of healthy fats such as avocados, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds. These can help regulate hormones that affect sleep.

Protein: Include lean proteins like chicken, turkey, fish, and legumes in your meals. However, avoid consuming large amounts of protein right before bed, as it can be harder to digest.

Timing Your Meals

Eat a Light Dinner: Aim to have your last meal at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. A light, balanced meal is easier to digest and can prevent discomfort that might disrupt sleep.

Avoid Large Late-Night Meals: Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime can cause indigestion and discomfort, making it difficult to fall asleep.

Limit Sleep-Disrupting Foods and Drinks

Reduce Caffeine: Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening as it can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. This includes coffee, tea, chocolate, and some sodas.

Limit Sugar: High-sugar foods can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, leading to disrupted sleep.

Avoid Alcohol Before Bed: While alcohol may initially make you feel drowsy, it can disrupt your sleep cycle and reduce the quality of sleep.

Stay Hydrated, But Not Too Much Before Bed

Drink Water Throughout the Day: Staying hydrated is important for overall health and can help you sleep better. However, avoid drinking large amounts of water close to bedtime to prevent frequent bathroom trips during the night.

Create a Sleep-Inducing Evening Snack

Try a Small, Sleep-Friendly Snack: If you need a snack before bed, opt for something light and sleep-promoting, such as a banana with a small handful of nuts, a bowl of oatmeal, or a small portion of yogurt with cherries.

Maintain a Consistent Eating Schedule

Regular Mealtimes: Eating at consistent times each day helps regulate your body's internal clock, making it easier to maintain a regular sleep schedule.

Final Recap

Enhancing your sleep quality doesn’t have to be complicated. By making mindful changes to your diet, you can create a routine that supports better rest. The right nutrition can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling truly rejuvenated.

Small dietary changes can significantly impact your overall well-being, providing you with the energy and clarity needed to thrive each day.

For an added boost to better sleep, try the Nightly app. Its AI-generated Layered Monaural Beats are tailored to individual sleep needs to help you relax and enjoy deeper, more restful sleep each night. Backed by neuroscience research Monaural Beats help enhance the onset of sleep 18% faster and improve deep sleep by 56%. Leading you to wake up each morning feeling well rested and have higher energy levels.