Diabetes Health in the News Podcast: Eat Better, Sleep Better

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Researchers at Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition in New York recently found that changing your diet may be the key to getting a better night’s sleep. This study examined 26 adults of average weight who were monitored in a sleep lab. Some evenings, nutritionists would prepare their meals, choosing food items that were high in protein and low in saturated fat. Other evenings, participants would select their own meals.

The result was that participants who ate more fiber spent more time within deep stage sleep. Higher amounts of sugar or saturated fat were connected to less slow-wave sleep, in addition to more periods of interrupted sleep. The amount of time needed to fall asleep also differed–it took an average of 17 minutes for participants to fall asleep when their meals were prepared compared to 29 minutes when they selected their own, less healthy meals.

These findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine on January 14, 2016.