Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake Linked to Improved Sleep Quality

Esra Tasali, MD, co-senior author and director of the UChicago Sleep Center, emphasized that "dietary modifications could be a new, natural, and cost-effective approach to achieve better sleep." The researchers aimed to understand how diet influences sleep, a topic that has received less attention compared to how sleep affects diet.

Previous research hinted at healthier eating patterns in those who sleep well, but this new study established a same-day relationship, showing that higher daily intake of fruits and vegetables correlates with objectively measured sleep quality. Healthy young adults in the study logged their food intake via an app while wearing wrist monitors to track sleep. The analysis focused on "sleep fragmentation," which measures disturbances during sleep.

The results indicated a strong connection between dietary habits and sleep; those consuming more fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates reported longer periods of deep, undisturbed sleep. Participants who met the CDC recommendation of five cups of fruits and vegetables daily experienced an average 16 percent improvement in sleep quality compared to those who did not consume any.

Tasali noted that a 16 percent difference is significant and highlights how quickly dietary changes can impact sleep. Future research will explore the causal relationship, biological mechanisms, and the applicability of these findings across diverse populations.

Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, co-senior author and director at Columbia, stated that small dietary adjustments could lead to better sleep, reinforcing that people have control over their sleep health. The study, titled "Higher daytime intake of fruits and vegetables predicts less disrupted nighttime sleep in younger adults," was published in June 2025 in Sleep Health: The Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, with support from various grants including those from the National Institutes of Health.