The message "eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day" has accompanied us for decades as part of a global health effort to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Now, scientists in the U.S. claim that meeting this goal not only contributes to overall health – but may also improve sleep quality in less than 24 hours.
In a study conducted on dozens of participants, researchers found that those who consumed at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day experienced an improvement of nearly 20% in sleep quality, compared to those who did not consume any fruits or vegetables.
In addition, a diet that included healthier carbohydrates – such as whole grains – was also found to be linked to better quality sleep.
Dr. Esra Tasali, a sleep medicine expert at the University of Chicago and one of the study’s authors, said:
"It’s amazing that we were able to see such a significant change in less than 24 hours. Dietary changes may be a natural, accessible, and inexpensive approach to improving sleep."
The study followed 34 young and healthy adults (average age: 28), who logged their daily food intake in a designated app. At the same time, they wore a sleep monitoring bracelet that allowed for objective measurement of their sleep patterns.
The researchers focused on a measure called "sleep fragmentation" – a metric that describes how often a person wakes up at night or shifts from deep to light sleep.
The study, published in the journal Sleep Health, found that a daily diet rich in fruits and vegetables was linked to significant differences in sleep quality on the following night.
The standout finding: those who consumed at least five cups of fruits and vegetables per day experienced a 16% improvement in sleep quality, compared to those who consumed none. The explanation, according to the researchers, lies in the effect of dietary fiber on the microbiome (the population of bacteria in the gut). These beneficial bacteria can influence neurotransmitters such as serotonin and melatonin – which are essential for regulating sleep.
At the same time, the researchers found that high consumption of red and processed meat was linked to greater sleep fragmentation.
Why Is Sleep Important?
Sleep is one of the most important actions for our health, both in the short and long term. Sleep disturbances, on the other hand, can lead to problems such as a weakened immune system, disruption of our physical, cognitive, and mental abilities, development of tumors or pre-diabetic conditions, memory difficulties, fatigue, frequent mood swings – and the list goes on.
There is no substitute for a sufficient number of sleep hours, a function that should fill at least a third of our lives, with sleep quality also playing a key role. The problem is that there is quite a gap between the ideal and reality in this area – especially in today’s Israel.