Fiber-rich foods
A selection of lunch meals offered to detainees are displayed in a food preparation area at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, March 7, 2013. The Joint Task Force Guantanamo is responsible for housing and feeding prisoners who have been captured in the war in Afghanistan and elsewhere since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Detainees are given a daily choice of regular, soft, vegetarian, vegetarian with fish, bland and high fiber meals. Picture taken March 7, 2013. Reuters/Bob Strong

People who consume foods greater in fibre like fruits and vegetables are more likely to have better sleep, a new study shows. In contrast, foods high in saturated fat and sugar can promote lighter and more disrupted sleep.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, shows participants fell asleep faster after eating meals that are low in saturated fat and high in protein like fish, cheese, tofu, yogurt, lean chicken and beef. They took only 17 minutes to fall asleep after eating the meals, while those who ate other foods and beverages of their choice took an average of 29 minutes.

"Our main finding was that diet quality influenced sleep quality," said lead researcher Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, assistant professor in the department of Medicine and Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York. She noted that even just a “single day of greater fat intake and lower fibre could influence sleep parameters."

The discovery that diet could influence quality of sleep would significantly help many people, St-Onge said. Previous studies suggest poor quality of sleep contributes to the development of chronic disorders such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The findings come from the analysis of diets and sleep of 26 adults. The participants spent five nights in a sleep lab, nine hours in bed, and slept seven hours and 35 minutes on average per night.

Data were analysed by the researchers after three days of providing controlled meals and another day after allowing the participants eat the food of their choice.

The researchers suggest that those with poor sleep quality could benefit from diet-based recommendations to improve their sleep. However, they noted that further studies are needed to evaluate the link between diet and sleep.

"This study emphasises the fact that diet and sleep are interwoven in the fabric of a healthy lifestyle," said American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr. Nathaniel Watson, who was not involved in the study. "For optimal health it is important to make lifestyle choices that promote healthy sleep, such as eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly."

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