A balanced diet and a good night’s sleep are mainstays of healthy living. But lately research has begun to uncover just how much the former impacts the latter. A 2021 review in the journal Sleep Medicine Review concluded that eating a healthy diet was associated with better sleep quality. Few people know this better than registered dietitians, who are well-versed in the role different nutrients can play in getting to sleep and staying asleep.
“Sleep and metabolism are both regulated in part by circadian rhythms,” says Christina Badaracco, M.P.H, RD, LDN, a Washington, D.C.-based dietitian, referring to the human body’s internal clock, which impacts hormone production and other metabolic processes. “We’ve also recently learned that our gut microbiota--which are modified through our diet, among other factors--regulate aspects of our sleep. The specific types of foods and beverages we consume, as well as their quantity and timing, affect our sleep quality and duration.”
