Dietitian-Approved Tips for Improving Your Sleep Through Better Nutrition

Although many folks often don’t equate lack of sleep with nutrition issues, that doesn’t mean a consistent loss of shut eye isn’t having a big - and likely negative - impact on your health. In fact, inadequate sleep has been shown to be a risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. It’s also been shown to be associated with an increase in inflammation in the body. 

As I’m sure you can figure out, none of this spells news for your body. But there’s good news! Many of these risks can be mitigated if we solve the no-sleep issue and fix it with a whole-body approach. To do that, here are my top five nutrition tips to improve your sleep naturally so you can feel amazing and achieve your wellness goals. 

1. Follow a high-fiber diet low in refined sugars.

Research shows individuals who consume diets high in refined sugar and low in fiber had greater wake cycles throughout the night, which resulted in disrupted sleep. My suggestion: add an additional serving of vegetables with dinner and opt for plant-based protein sources such as legumes or lentils.