A Simple Dietary Strategy to Improve Sleep Quality
An American nutrition expert revealed that the way one eats throughout the day can directly affect the quality of sleep at night, pointing to a simple dietary strategy that can make a tangible difference, alongside a common habit that should be avoided before bedtime.
The expert, Erin Palinski-Wade, a registered dietitian based in New Jersey specializing in diabetes care and author of “The Sleepdemic Solution,” which offers solutions for sleep problems and disorders, explained that there is a range of foods that can support sleep, and their impact is sometimes greatest when combined within a single meal.
She noted that maintaining stable blood sugar levels throughout the day helps avoid afternoon energy slumps and supports more restorative sleep at night. She emphasized that waking up in the middle of the night and having difficulty falling back asleep is not always linked to insomnia; it can sometimes be attributed to fluctuations in glucose levels.
She added that combining light proteins, slow-digesting carbohydrates, and healthy fats in meals and snacks is the “first step” to improving sleep overall. She recommended tart cherry, or 100 percent natural tart cherry juice, as her top choice due to its high natural melatonin content compared to other foods.
• Consume between 100 and 150 grams of 100 percent natural tart cherry juice, or the equivalent of a quarter cup of dried tart cherries.
• Stop consuming caffeine about 10 hours before bedtime to avoid its stimulating effects.
Palinski-Wade warned that excessive caffeine intake acts as a “stress factor” on the body, explaining that the ideal daily dose should not exceed 300 milligrams. A standard 8-ounce cup of coffee typically contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine.
According to the expert, consuming caffeine, especially in the evening or immediately before bedtime, triggers the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. This causes the body to store fat rather than burn it and increases inflammation levels, which directly conflicts with achieving good-quality sleep.
