Eating more fruits and vegetables could improve your sleep, study shows

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LOS ANGELES – Getting better sleep might be as simple as eating more plants. A new study from the University of Chicago and Columbia University suggests that consuming more fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates during the day could lead to better sleep quality that night.

While sleep hygiene tips like avoiding screens and keeping your bedroom dark can help, researchers say what you eat throughout the day may have a more immediate impact than previously thought. The small study tracked dietary habits and sleep metrics of healthy young adults—and found that the more plants they ate, the less fragmented their sleep became.

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Can fruits and vegetables really improve your sleep?

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What we know:

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The study involved 34 healthy U.S. adults between the ages of 21 and 35 who regularly slept seven to nine hours per night. Participants wore wrist monitors to track their sleep and self-reported their food intake throughout the day.

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Researchers focused on “sleep fragmentation,” or how often people woke up or cycled between deep and light sleep. They found that increasing fruit and vegetable intake up to the CDC’s recommended five cups per day was associated with 16% better sleep that same night. Participants also benefited from eating more complex carbohydrates, like whole grains.

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On the other hand, people who ate more red and processed meats tended to have poorer sleep quality, the data showed.

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What they’re saying:

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“People are always asking me if there are things they can eat that will help them sleep better,” said coauthor Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia. “Small changes can impact sleep. That is empowering—better rest is within your control.”

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Co-senior author Esra Tasali, MD, director of the UChicago Sleep Center, said in a UChicago summary that “dietary modifications could be a new, natural, and cost-effective approach to achieve better sleep.”

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The other side:

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Because the study was small and observational, it doesn’t prove cause and effect. Researchers acknowledged that self-reported dietary data has limitations, and larger studies would be needed to confirm the findings across broader age groups or among people with sleep disorders like insomnia.

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Why diet affects sleep quality

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The backstory:

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It’s already well-established that poor sleep can lead people to make worse dietary choices, often craving more sugar, fat, and salt. But this new study flips the question: Could healthier daytime eating lead to better sleep that very night?

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Previous research has linked diets rich in fruits and vegetables with better long-term sleep quality, but this is one of the first studies to establish a same-day correlation.

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Nutrients in plant-based foods—such as fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants—may support healthy sleep cycles and reduce inflammation, which can disrupt rest.

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How to eat more fruits, vegetables, and complex carbs

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What you can do:

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Only about 10–12% of U.S. adults currently meet federal guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake, according to the CDC. But the Department of Agriculture says one cup of produce can be as simple as:

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• 1 large banana
• ½ cup dried fruit
• 32 grapes
• 12 baby carrots
• 1 large sweet potato
• 2 cups raw spinach
• 1 cup cooked beans

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To boost your intake:

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• Swap meat for beans or lentils in meals like stews or tacos
• Add vegetables to your breakfast (e.g., spinach in eggs or smoothies)
• Fill half your plate with produce at lunch and dinner
• Choose whole grains like bulgur, barley, or brown rice over refined options

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Even modest improvements in diet may help your sleep—and your overall health—without needing a prescription.

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