Eat Right to Sleep Right

People will try anything to get a good night’s sleep. What if the answer is in your kitchen?

“Our research shows certain dietary patterns, foods, and nutrients are associated with better sleep,” says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, Director of Columbia's Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research and author of “Eat Better, Sleep Better.” 

There is no one food that leads to perfect sleep, and diet can be an individual matter. But in general, certain foods and nutrients can promote sleep, and others that disturb sleep.

“Broadly, people who have diets high in fiber and low in saturated fat, sugar, and glycemic index values have the best chance of good sleep,” says Dr. St-Onge. And the link goes both ways: Her team also found that people who have better sleep have better diet quality.

Dr. St-Onge explains the relationship between what you eat and how you sleep—and shares the best foods and drinks to focus on.

What’s the relationship between food and sleep?

There’s a direct link between what you eat and how you sleep.

It’s well-known that eating too much and too close to bedtime can be disruptive, but what you eat matters, too. Our research shows men and women of all races and ethnicities experience better sleep when they have healthier, nutrient-rich diets.

Simply put, regularly eating a Mediterranean-style diet rules. It was already known to be good for the health of your heart and brain. Now we know a Mediterranean-style diet and other healthful dietary patterns like Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) also lead to better sleep quality, fewer sleep disturbances, and better sleep efficiency. It also lowers the risk of insomnia, sleep apnea, and dementia. 

Why do certain foods promote sleep?

Good sleep starts with regularly eating food rich in nutrients, including B vitamins, carbohydrates, lycopene, lutein, melatonin, selenium, serotonin, and tryptophan.

• Melatonin: This hormone, which regulates sleep and your body’s circadian rhythms, signals sleep onset. If melatonin is not released, it’s harder to fall asleep. Many factors can be obstacles to melatonin release, such as bright light. Melatonin can be made by your body, but it can also be present directly in food. 

• Tryptophan: This is an essential amino acid you can only get from food, and it’s a building block for melatonin. Foods containing high levels of tryptophan are needed for melatonin production. Foods that contain both tryptophan and carbohydrates can lead to even better melatonin production by the body.

• B vitamins and magnesium: These are essential cofactors (molecules that help enzymes do their jobs) that help convert tryptophan to melatonin.

Which is better at promoting sleep: food or supplements?

There are no studies comparing dietary sources of serotonin and melatonin to supplements for effects on sleep. We know melatonin supplements are not recommended for long-term use and may produce side effects. Perhaps more importantly, supplements are not regulated, and active ingredients can be much higher or much lower than what is claimed on the package.

Another benefit of whole foods is that they include various other healthy nutrients.

Is there a relationship between foods high in magnesium and sleep?

More research is needed to claim magnesium helps improve sleep. But there’s no harm in choosing foods higher in magnesium content if you have sleep difficulties. I would not recommend taking magnesium supplements without speaking to your doctor first because magnesium at high doses can interfere with some medications.

Are there foods people think will help with sleep but do not?

Many people think eating turkey explains why they get sleepy after a Thanksgiving meal. Although turkey has tryptophan, it is not an instant sleep aid.

Some people think alcohol will help them sleep. Alcohol is a sedative that may help some people fall asleep, but it also leads to lower sleep quality overall, with disturbed sleep later in the night.

Some also think hot water plus peppermint extract or mint tea are sleep aids, but no good research supports this. And the aroma of mint (menthol) can trigger alertness and focus.

That said, if you find these beverages and foods help you sleep, there is no reason not to include them in your bedtime or winding down routine.

Does lettuce water promote sleep?

No. TikTok videos have suggested that soaking iceberg lettuce in hot water and then drinking the water will help you sleep. This has not been tested in humans (or animals) and has no basis.

There is a study showing that bitter lettuce extract may have sedative effects in rats, but we do not know if it works in people. These extracts are alcohol-soluble and do not represent what social media portrays.

There have been studies of lettuce seeds and pregnant women with insomnia, lettuce seed syrup, and people with breast cancer that show potential benefits for sleep in these populations.

What about tart cherry juice?

There has been a TikTok video of a mocktail that contains tart cherry juice, magnesium power, and Olipop. Tart cherry juice and cherry fruits have been studied in randomized, placebo-controlled trials and have been shown to produce sleep benefits. Although those are small-scale studies, findings are consistent among them. And, there is biological plausibility: One study found that melatonin levels increased in people consuming tart cherries. Also, magnesium is necessary for melatonin production. Finally, Olipop is a low-sugar soda containing plant fiber and prebiotics that could improve gut health, which also has implications for sleep.

Another benefit of this mocktail is the lack of alcohol. If this beverage replaces alcohol in your pre-bedtime routine, and you get the best sleep ever, go for it! Just be mindful of magnesium over-supplementation.

What research is needed to bring public health attention to the food-sleep relationship?

Quite a bit.

In addition to our existing population-based studies showing the impact of diet on sleep, we need studies into the biochemical interactions that lead to better sleep.

We also need controlled feeding studies in adults with sleep difficulties, where dietitians or nutritionists design menus and provide all the foods participants consume to gather precise data.

In addition, we need more studies of whole dietary patterns—a person’s complete diet—that incorporate multiple sleep-promoting nutrients.

We also need to evaluate sleep from different angles. In addition to using devices that track sleep duration, depth, and arousals, we need to ask individuals about their perceptions of their sleep. At the end of the day, if your watch tells you that you’ve had the best sleep ever, but you’re still tired, then you won’t have the same health benefits as someone who wakes up feeling refreshed.

Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, is the Director of Columbia's Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research and an associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia. She is the co-author of “Eat Better, Sleep Better.”