Better sleep: nutrition expert advises one easy mealtime shift and a common habit to skip

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• How food timing and composition matter
• Melatonin in foods: what the evidence shows
• Caffeine: dose and timing
• Practical takeaways

What you eat across the day can shape how well you sleep at night, experts say — not just by calming hunger, but by influencing hormones and blood glucose that affect wakefulness. Registered dietitian Erin Palinski‑Wade, who studies nutrition and sleep, highlights simple dietary patterns and a few specific foods that may help people fall asleep and stay asleep longer.

How food timing and composition matter

Fluctuations in blood sugar are a common, but often overlooked, cause of middle‑of‑the‑night awakenings. Rapid rises and falls in glucose can trigger arousal, making it harder to return to sleep even when you’re tired.

To blunt those swings, experts recommend pairing protein with fiber‑rich, slow‑digesting carbohydrates and some healthy fat at meals and snacks. That mix slows digestion and gives the body a steadier energy supply, which can reduce daytime energy crashes and support deeper, more consolidated sleep at night.

Melatonin in foods: what the evidence shows

Some foods contain natural amounts of melatonin or compounds that may help the body use melatonin more effectively. Tart cherries are frequently studied because they contain measurable melatonin and other phytochemicals that could extend melatonin’s effects.

Research is promising but not definitive: trials have shown modest gains in sleep duration or quality for some people, yet reviews through 2025 describe mixed results and call for larger, higher‑quality studies. For those trying diet‑first approaches, Palinski‑Wade suggests modest portions — for example, about 4–6 ounces of 100% tart cherry juice or roughly a quarter cup of dried tart cherries — as a nonpharmaceutical option to test.

• Protein + low‑GI carbs: chicken, fish, legumes with whole grains or sweet potato to stabilize glucose.
• Healthy fats & antioxidants: olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds — may reduce inflammation linked to poor sleep.
• Melatonin sources: tart cherries or 100% tart cherry juice in small amounts, used consistently for several nights to gauge effect.
• Avoid late refined sugars: sweets and high‑sugar drinks close to bedtime can provoke glucose dips and awakenings.

Caffeine: dose and timing

Unlike foods that can gently nudge sleep biology, caffeine is a stimulant that interferes with the ability to fall and stay asleep. The timing and total daily amount matter: consuming caffeine in the afternoon or evening can undermine restorative sleep later that night.

Palinski‑Wade recommends stopping caffeine roughly 10 hours before bedtime for people who notice sleep disruption. She cites about 300 milligrams a day as a practical upper target for many adults; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, by comparison, considers up to 400 milligrams generally safe for most healthy adults, though individual sensitivity varies based on medications and health conditions.

Excessive caffeine not only keeps you alert, it can raise stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline — factors that increase inflammation and oppose sleep‑promoting physiology.

Practical takeaways

Small, sustainable adjustments matter more than a single “superfood.” Prioritize balanced meals that combine protein, fiber and healthy fat, limit late‑day sugary snacks, and monitor caffeine intake and timing. For people open to dietary experiments, short trials of tart cherry products may be worth trying, but expectations should be modest given the current evidence.

Addressing these dietary elements can be an accessible first step for many struggling with fragmented sleep — and may complement other proven measures such as consistent sleep schedules, light exposure management and discussing persistent insomnia with a clinician.