While you’ve been focusing on when you sleep and where you sleep, scientists at the University of Tsukuba have uncovered something far more fundamental: what you eat determines how you sleep.
Their research on nearly 5,000 people proves what grandmothers have suspected all along: Certain foods make you sleep better. But it’s not warm milk or turkey with its mythical tryptophan. The real sleep ingredients are protein and fibre.
The path to perfect sleep doesn’t start in your bedroom—it starts in your kitchen.
The science behind sleep and diet
Want to sleep longer and better? The answer might be on your plate. New research shows that eating more protein and fibre can lead to longer sleep and improved sleep quality.
A study from the University of Tsukuba in Japan analyzed data from 4,825 people who tracked their sleep patterns and food intake. The results were clear. People who ate more protein slept longer, about 15 minutes more per night, than those who consumed less protein.
While 15 minutes might not sound like much, this adds up to almost two hours of extra sleep per week. Over a year, that’s more than four days of additional sleep!
The study also found that higher fibre intake helped people:
How protein improves sleep
Protein does more than build muscle. It helps your brain produce sleep-regulating chemicals:
Fiber: The gut-sleep connection
The fiber-sleep connection works through your gut:
These chemicals help regulate sleep and wake cycles, plus, fibre prevents blood sugar spikes that might wake you during the night
What to eat for better sleep
Protein-rich foods
High-fibre foods
What to avoid
The same study found some foods hurt sleep quality:
Other sleep tips
While protein and fibre will improve your sleep, these habits help too:
The two-way street
The relationship between diet and sleep works both ways. Good food choices improve sleep, while poor sleep often leads to unhealthy food choices. This creates either a positive or negative cycle.
Starting with better food choices breaks the negative cycle and puts you on track for better sleep.
Bottom line
The math gets even better when you factor in falling asleep faster and waking less often. Those benefits compound into a better mood, sharper thinking and stronger immune function. All from choosing chicken over chips, beans over bread.
Most sleep solutions have side effects or hefty price tags. This one saves money, as protein and fibre-rich whole foods often cost less than processed alternatives.
Tonight, fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with lean protein, and a quarter with whole grains. Do this for dinner every night this week.
Your body knows how to sleep perfectly. You just need to feed it right.
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