Struggling to sleep well?
The solution might be as simple as filling your plate with more fruits and vegetables.
A new study led by researchers from the University of Chicago Medicine and Columbia University found that eating more produce during the day can help you sleep better that very night.
We already know that poor sleep affects everything from heart health and memory to mood and productivity. But this study is among the first to show a clear link between what you eat during the day and how well you sleep that same night.
“This is a big deal,” said Professor Esra Tasali, director of the UChicago Sleep Center and co-senior author of the study. “It shows that even small changes in your diet can have meaningful effects—within just 24 hours.”
In the study, healthy young adults tracked their meals with a food app and wore wrist monitors that measured their sleep. The researchers focused on a specific measure called “sleep fragmentation,” which tracks how often people wake up or shift from deep to light sleep during the night.
The results were clear: people who ate more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains had more restful, uninterrupted sleep. On the other hand, people who ate fewer healthy foods experienced more disturbed sleep. According to the team’s analysis, eating the recommended five cups of fruits and veggies per day could lead to a 16% improvement in sleep quality.
That’s a big difference for such a simple lifestyle change.
Professor Marie-Pierre St-Onge, co-senior author and director of Columbia’s Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research, said she often hears people ask if there’s anything they can eat to improve their sleep. “Now we can say yes. And the best part is—it’s something easy and healthy you can do every day.”
Past studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can lead people to crave junk food high in sugar and fat. But much less is known about how diet can influence sleep. This study stands out because it shows a clear, same-day relationship between better eating and better rest.
The researchers plan to explore this link further, including how digestion, metabolism, and brain activity may be involved. They also hope to test more diverse age groups and populations in future studies.
But for now, the advice is simple: Eat your fruits and veggies. Not only are they good for your body—they just might help you sleep like a baby.
