What to eat for better sleep

Summary

Life Kit Podcast Summary: "What to Eat for Better Sleep"

Release Date: April 29, 2025

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Introduction

In the April 29, 2025 episode of Life Kit, hosted by Marielle Segarra, listeners delve into the intricate relationship between diet and sleep. Marielle explores how the foods we consume not only influence our sleep quality but how our sleep patterns can, in turn, affect our dietary choices. This episode features an insightful conversation with Marie Pierre Saintonge, a nutrition scientist and researcher at Columbia University, who co-authored a cookbook aimed at enhancing sleep through mindful eating.

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Understanding the Connection Between Diet and Sleep

Marielle Segarra opens the discussion by highlighting common late-night cravings for carbohydrates and sweets, questioning how these dietary choices impact sleep quality. Marie Pierre Saintonge responds by emphasizing that various nutrients, including types of fats, sugar, and fiber, significantly influence how well we sleep.

Marie Pierre Saintonge [00:47]: "What we eat in terms of various nutrients like types of fats and sugar and fiber can all play a role on sleep quality at night."

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Key Hormones: Melatonin and Serotonin

A central theme in the conversation is the role of hormones like melatonin and serotonin in regulating sleep.

• Melatonin: This hormone governs the sleep-wake cycle, helping individuals fall asleep and stay asleep. Melatonin production relies on amino acids, particularly tryptophan, which must be obtained through diet as the body cannot produce it naturally.

  Marie Pierre Saintonge [03:49]: "Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your sleep wake cycle. So that's important for helping one fall asleep, remain asleep throughout the night."

• Serotonin: Known as a "feel-good" neurotransmitter, serotonin not only enhances mood but also plays a crucial role in the sleep-wake cycle.

  Marie Pierre Saintonge [05:09]: "Serotonin is basically a messenger that relays information across the brain throughout the body. It's also relevant for sleep because serotonin is considered to be a feel good type of neurotransmitter."

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Essential Nutrients for Better Sleep

Takeaway One focuses on incorporating tryptophan-rich foods into the diet. Contrary to popular belief, consuming tryptophan-rich foods like turkey does not act as a sedative immediately but contributes to melatonin production over time.

Marie Pierre Saintonge [06:08]: "The story related to turkey and feeling sleepy... it's not that far-fetched in a sense that yes, turkey is a good source of tryptophan."

Source Foods for Tryptophan:

• Animal-Based: Beef, chicken, lamb, pork, salmon, tuna, and dairy products like yogurt.
• Plant-Based: Tofu, various legumes (e.g., lentils), and nuts.

Takeaway Two emphasizes the importance of consuming foods rich in serotonin and melatonin, as well as essential micronutrients such as magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, and folate.

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Top 20 Sleep-Supporting Ingredients

Marie Pierre and co-author Kat Craddock curated a list of 20 powerhouse ingredients backed by research to enhance sleep quality. These ingredients are versatile and can be easily incorporated into daily meals.

Top 20 Ingredients Include:

• Nuts & Seeds: Almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts
• Fruits: Bananas, cherries, pineapple
• Grains & Legumes: Barley, brown rice, lentils, oats, white beans
• Protein Sources: Salmon, tofu, turkey
• Vegetables: Spinach, tomatoes
• Others: Extra virgin olive oil, ginger, yogurt

Marie Pierre Saintonge [08:05]: "Many of those have studies that support their benefit for sleep... Individuals could start to incorporate some of these foods into their own diet."

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Delicious Recipes for Better Sleep

The cookbook co-authored by Marie Pierre and Kat Craddock offers a variety of recipes designed to support sleep health. Some highlighted recipes from the book include:

• Cherry Ginger Granola with Cocoa Nibs: A tangy and crunchy option perfect for breakfast or a snack.
• Overnight Buckwheat Porridge: Enhanced with slivered almonds for added texture.
• Muffin Tin Quiche: Ideal for brunch or a light lunch with leftovers.
• Soy Braised Butternut Squash with Miso Butter and Black Sesame
• Whole Grain Chicken Porridge with Scallions and Sesame Cashew Crunch
• Turkey and Black Bean Burrito Bowl with Salsa Verde and Avocado
• Banana Chamomile Shortcake with Greek Yogurt and Sliced Almonds

Marie Pierre Saintonge [10:19]: "I love the cherry ginger granola with cocoa nibs... it goes in a week. My kids, my husband, we have that granola any time of day."

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Foods That Can Disrupt Sleep

While certain foods promote better sleep, others can hinder it. Marie Pierre discusses the detrimental effects of refined carbohydrates, added sugars, caffeine, and alcohol on sleep quality.

• Refined Carbohydrates & Added Sugars: Higher intake is linked to an increased risk of insomnia.

  Marie Pierre Saintonge [12:13]: "Women who had more refined carbohydrates in their diet and more added sugars had higher risk of insomnia."

• Caffeine: A stimulant that can significantly disrupt sleep, especially since the body's ability to metabolize caffeine diminishes with age.

  Marie Pierre Saintonge [12:13]: "Our body's ability to metabolize or process caffeine slows down with age."

• Alcohol: Although a sedative, alcohol can lead to disrupted sleep cycles and reduced sleep quality.

Marie Pierre Saintonge [12:13]: "Alcohol is a sedative. It can lead to more disrupted sleep in the second half of the night."

Takeaway Three advises individuals to limit these substances to enhance sleep quality.

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Dietary Tips for Specific Sleep Challenges

Marie Pierre offers tailored dietary strategies for individuals facing unique sleep disruptions:

• Traveling and Jet Lag:

  • Adopt Local Eating Schedules: Align meal times with the new time zone to help reset circadian rhythms.

    Marie Pierre Saintonge [14:10]: "Try to adopt the eating schedule of your new time zone very quickly."

• Night Shift Workers:

  • Meal Timing: Focus on consuming larger meals during daytime hours and lighter snacks if necessary during night shifts.

    Marie Pierre Saintonge [15:03]: "Ideally, it would be to not eat too much at night or not eat at all in the middle of the night."

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Final Recommendations and Recap

To wrap up the episode, Marielle and Marie Pierre summarize the key strategies for improving sleep through diet:

1. Incorporate Tryptophan-Rich Foods: Boost serotonin and melatonin levels naturally.
2. Consume Foods High in Serotonin, Melatonin, and Essential Micronutrients: Focus on magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, and folate.
3. Limit Intake of Refined Carbohydrates, Added Sugars, Alcohol, and Caffeine: Reduce consumption of these sleep-disrupting substances.

Top 20 Sleep-Supporting Ingredients: Almonds, bananas, barley, brown rice, cherries, chia seeds, extra virgin olive oil, ginger, lentils, oats, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, salmon, spinach, tofu, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts, white beans, and yogurt.

Marie Pierre Saintonge [15:35]: "Increased intakes of fruits and vegetables... eat more of this, eat more of that, and maybe having more of this."

Marielle encourages listeners to explore additional Life Kit episodes on related topics, such as recovering from a bad night's sleep and debunking common sleep myths. For those seeking deeper insights, a special newsletter guide to better sleep is available for subscription.

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Production Credits

This episode of Life Kit was produced by Sam Yellow Horse Kessler, with visuals by Beck Harlan and digital editing by Malika Garib. The supervising editor was Megan Kane, and Beth Donovan served as the executive producer. The production team also included Andy Taegle, Claire Marie Schneider, Margaret Serino, and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support was provided by Gilly Moon and Zoe Vengenhoven, with fact-checking assistance from Aida Purasad.

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By integrating these dietary strategies and focusing on nutrient-rich foods, listeners can take proactive steps toward achieving better sleep and overall well-being.

Transcript

[Charles Schwab]

This message comes from Charles Schwab with their original podcast Choiceology. Choiceology is a show about the psychology and economics behind people's decisions. Download the latest episode and [e-mail] podcast.

[Mariel Segarra]

You're listening to Life Kit from NPR. Hey everybody, it's Marielle. I don't know about y'all, but when I'm really tired, all I want to do besides sleep is lie around and eat carbs, pasta, bread, cake, cookies. And that's something. Researchers have identified that our sleep quality can influence our dietary choices. But it turns out the reverse is also true. What we eat day to day affects our sleep.

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

What we have been finding is that what you eat in terms of various nutrients like types of fats and sugar and fiber can all play a role on sleep quality at night.

[Mariel Segarra]

That's Marie Pierre saintonge, a nutrition scientist and researcher at Columbia University who studies the connection between sleeping and eating. Marie Pierre decided to team up with Kat Craddock, CEO and editor in chief of the Food and Travel magazine server, to write a cookbook that'll help people sleep better. In it, they explain the science, talk about what to eat more of and less of, and then give a whole bunch of recipes that incorporate the nutrients you need to sleep well. On this episode of Life Life Kit, I talked to Mari Pierre about the book, so if you've ever had trouble sleeping, this one's for you.

[Kat Craddock]

Support comes from our 2025 lead sponsor of Life Kit, Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] casualty insurance company and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law not available in all states. This message comes from Schwab. At Schwab, how you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own. Plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award winning service, low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more. This message comes from NPR sponsor Disney. Season 1 of Andor had critics calling it the best Star wars series yet. Season two of the Emmy nominated series is now streaming on Disney. Follow Cassian andor as he embarks on a path from a rebel to a hero starring Diego Luna and from creator Tony Gilroy, writer of Michael Clayton and the bourne Identity Season 2 of Andor is now streaming only on Disney.

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[Mariel Segarra]

Maripierra. You talk in the book about the chemicals in our bodies that play an important role in sleep. One of them is melatonin. What is it and why do we need it to sleep?

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

So melatonin is a hormone that regulates your sleep wake cycle. So that's important for helping one fall asleep, remain asleep throughout the night. And so this is a hormone that's quite important, especially when we're talking about diet and its impact on sleep because it is produced in the body from an amino acid and amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. But you must have heard about this one specific amino acid called tryptophan. And the importance of tryptophan is that it's considered an essential amino acid. And essential amino acids are those that we cannot produce ourselves. We must obtain from outside sources, which means, in our case, foods. So this amino acid, when it's consumed, becomes converted to melatonin through various processes in the body that require other types of nutrients like zinc, magnesium, B vitamins. So essential micronutrients that we also get from foods to. To produce melatonin.

[Mariel Segarra]

Okay, and then there's serotonin, right? What is that and what role does it play in sleep?

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

Serotonin is basically a messenger that relays information across the brain throughout the body. It's also relevant for sleep because serotonin is considered to be a feel good type of neurotransmitter. People feel happy and is also related and important for sleep wake cycle.

[Mariel Segarra]

All right, takeaway one. If you want to sleep better, eat foods that contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that we have to get from food because our bodies don't produce it and it's converted to serotonin and melatonin in the body. Well, let's talk about tryptophan. People always talk about it around Thanksgiving because they say, oh, turkey has a lot of it and, and it makes you sleepy. I know that that's a misconception because you say tryptophan is not a sedative. Right. It's not a thing you're supposed to eat just before bed to help you sleep.

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

Yes. So it, you know, the, the story related to turkey and feeling sleepy. It's, it's not, you know, that far fetched in a sense that yes, turkey is a good source of tryptophan. But what we need to realize is that when you do eat foods, the nutrients that you get from the foods do not instantaneously make it to the brain to start up the production of melatonin in that short period of time that people would consider falling asleep on the sofa a few hours after eating a turkey rich meal. What I suggest is to have the right nutrients available when time comes to produce and secrete melatonin for a good sleep onset.

[Mariel Segarra]

So a way to do that, as you say in the book, is to eat tryptophan rich foods throughout the day. What foods actually contain tryptophan besides turkey?

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

So there are some also non animal products that contain tryptophan. So we can think about tofu as a good source of tryptophan. Various legumes like lentils will have tryptophan. Other meat sources are beef, chicken, lamb is a good source and pork are good sources of tryptophan. And from seafood we could think about salmon, tuna and then some dairy products. Yogurts have tryptophan as well.

[Mariel Segarra]

Marie Pierre says it's also helpful to eat foods that contain serotonin and melatonin and to eat foods that contain certain micronutrients, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6 and folate. That's our takeaway too. Well, you have your top 20 in here. You say my top 20 powerhouse ingredients to stock your sleep supporting kitchen. Why did you choose the 20 on this list?

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

There are so many that I wanted to add in there, but we thought we'd get started with 20. Many of those have studies that support their benefit for sleep. So I'm thinking that cherries have, have some research. Pineapples, tomatoes, walnuts, dairy products. But also they're good sources for multiple of those sleep supporting nutrients like you know, barley, that could be, that's a good source for tryptophan but also fiber, melatonin, magnesium, B vitamin B6 and zinc. Pumpkin seeds also having, you know, a good blend of multip those nutrients. Individuals could start to incorporate some of these foods into their own diet and maybe you know, replacing some of the, some of the cooking oil that they use, for example with extra virgin olive oil or adding, you know, spinach to various stews and, and, and soups or stir fries and that can help them get started on, on a healthy track.

[Mariel Segarra]

Yeah. What are some other simple swaps that people can make in their recipes to start eating more sleep promot to me.

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

The easy thing for all recipes is to add vegetables so you don't have to take away anything, just add to it. Add more vegetables. You can sprinkle some nuts and seeds on top at the end as a finishing touch. That can just add a little bit more, you know, unsaturated fats and fiber and various complex carbohydrates and tryptophan. Maybe doing some simple snack swaps for a more processed, refined food product with a piece of fruit like a banana, a bunch of cherries or oranges and pineapples and then, you know, incorporating more nuts and seeds and plant based proteins and eventually that will then start to take the place of more refined carbohydrates, for example, or higher saturated fat fat, animal proteins.

[Mariel Segarra]

Well, tell me some of your favorite recipes from the book.

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

I'm a breakfast person. I love, love, love breakfast. I love the granolas quite a bit, both of them, but specifically the, the cherry ginger granola with cocoa nibs I find is very different from what we're used to. And the ginger that's in there gives it a really nice tang. And sesame seeds too, right? Yeah, sesame seeds in there as well. And in my house I always make a double batch and it goes in a week. My kids, my husband, we have that granola any time of day just pass by this big bowl, grab a spoonful, grab a handful and just have it as a snack too. But I also really like the overnight oats. The buckwheat porridge I enjoy quite a bit. It has slivered almonds on top, that gives it a nice crunch. And the buckwheat groats are also really chewy and really nice. The muffin tin quiche I like quite a bit. I think it's great when you're hosting a brunch and also then it gives you a little bit of affordable type of breakfast or even you can dress it up for lunch with leftovers if you'd like, with a side salad and things like that.

[Mariel Segarra]

Some other recipes from the soy braised butternut squash with miso butter and black sesame whole grain chicken porridge with scallions and sesame cashew crunch, a turkey and black bean burrito bowl with salsa verde and avocado and a banana chamomile shortcake which also includes Greek Yogurt and sliced almonds. Well, let's pivot here for a moment to what kind of foods disrupt our sleep.

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

We've done quite a bit of research related to carbohydrates. And so there's a study that we conducted where we showed that women who had more refined carbohydrates in their diet and more added sugars in their diet had higher risk of insomnia. We often talk about and think about liquids when we're thinking about different foods and beverages that can have an influence on sleep. For example, having caffeine too late in the day, that's often a culprit. We know caffeine is a stimulant, but what people don't necessarily realize is that our body's ability to metabolize or process caffeine slows down with age. And so it takes the body longer to process caffeine and clear it out from your system as you get older. And so I always tell people it's good to reevaluate the timing of your last caffeine providing beverage in relation to your bedtime. And then we also talk about alcohol intake because, you know, contrary to caffeine, alcohol is a sedative. It can lead to more disrupted sleep in the second half of the night, and then you wake up not feeling as refreshed as you would if you hadn't had too much to drink the night before.

[Mariel Segarra]

All right, takeaway 3. Consider limiting your intake of refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and alcohol. Also, if you're having trouble sleeping and you drink caffeine, try skipping that cup of coffee in the afternoon or swapping it out for something uncaffeinated. Let's talk about some specific situations that make it hard for people to sleep and if there are any dietary tips that could help. So one is if you're traveling and you have jet lag, one thing that.

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

I like to tell people is to try to adopt the eating schedule of your new time zone very quickly. So eating meals when they're supposed to be eaten at the clock time of the place where you landed. So that will help to restore your circadian rhythms.

[Mariel Segarra]

So what about if you're someone who works the night shift?

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

Right? So for night shift workers, it becomes a little more complicated in terms of timing of eating because they're awake during the night when their body is not in a state where it's primed to receive nutrients. So ideally it would be to not eat too much at night or not eat at all in the middle of the night, if possible, and try to eat during daytime hours.

[Mariel Segarra]

So try to eat the bulk of your food during the daytime hours, even if you're sleeping during the daytime hours.

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

Yes. So for some people, it may mean having a meal when they arrive home before going to bed for their main sleep episode and then eating a larger meal when they wake up from that, and then maybe a smaller meal or a snack late, late in the evening, depending on when their shift is.

[Mariel Segarra]

If you could make one recommendation for how folks should change their diet to get better sleep, what would that be?

[Marie Pierre Saintonge]

Increased intakes of fruits and vegetables. That would be the first thing to do. You know, we often think about, you know, what should you not eat? But I think a better message is eat more of this, eat more of that, and maybe having more of this. And that will help you push out some of the things that are not as helpful.

[Mariel Segarra]

Okay, time for a recap. Takeaway one is to eat foods that contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that we get from food and it's converted to serotonin and melatonin in the brain. Both of those play an important role in our sleep wake cycle. Takeaway two is eat foods that contain serotonin and melatonin and foods that are rich in the micronutrients, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6 and folate. We talked about that top 20 list of powerhouse ingredients to stock your sleep. Supporting KITCHEN Here it is almonds, bananas, barley, brown rice, cherries, chia seeds, extra virgin olive oil, ginger, lentils, oats, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, salmon, spinach, tofu, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts, white beans and yogurt. Takeaway 3 Consider limiting your intake of refined carbohydrates, added sugars, alcohol and of course, caffeine. For more Life Kit, check out our other episodes. We have one about how to recover after a bad night sleep and another where we bust common sleep myths. You can find [e-mail] LifeKit and if you love Life Kit and Sleep and want more, subscribe to our special newsletter. It's a guide to better sleep. You can sign [e-mail] Sleepweek this episode of Life Kit was produced by Sam Yellow Horse Kessler. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan and our digital editor is Malika Garib. Megan Kane is our supervising editor and and Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andy Taegle, Claire Marie Schneider, Margaret Serino and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Gilly Moon and Zoe Vengenhoven. Fact checking help from Aida Purasad. I'm Mariel Segarra thanks for listening.

[Kat Craddock]

This message comes from Tourism Australia. Australia, a land of contrast where white sand beaches are almost as plentiful as flat white coffees and where you can go away for a vacation yet somehow feel right at home. Explore [e-mail] this message comes from NPR sponsor 1Password Protect your digital life with 1Password if you're tired of family members constantly texting you for the passwords to streaming services, 1Password lets you securely share or remove access to logins access from any device anytime. 1Password lets you securely switch between iPhone, Android, Mac and PC with convenient features like autofill for quick sign ins. Right now, Get a free 2 week trial for you and your family at.

[Charles Schwab]

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