FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — What you eat throughout the day could play a role in how well you sleep at night, according to a registered dietitian who says maintaining steady blood sugar and choosing certain foods may help support more restorative sleep. Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registe red dietitian, certified diabetes care specialist and author of “The Sleepdemic Solution,” told Fox News Digital that food choices can either support or interfere with sleep. “There are a number of foods that can help support sleep, and sometimes it’s even a combination,” Palinski-Wade said. One of her primary recommendations is to focus on keeping blood sugar levels relatively stable throughout the day. Palinski-Wade said doing that may help reduce afternoon energy crashes while also supporting better sleep later that night. She suggested that people who regularly wake during the night and have difficulty falling back asleep shouldn’t automatically assume insomnia is the only explanation, because fluctuations in glucose levels could potentially play a role. A simple approach, she said, is to combine lean protein, slow-digesting carbohydrates and healthy fats when putting together meals and snacks. Palinski-Wade called that combination the “No. 1 way” to improve overall sleep. Among individual foods, Palinski-Wade highlighted tart cherries, including 100% tart cherry juice, because they naturally contain melatonin. “Tart cherries [are] one of the foods that have the highest amount of melatonin naturally, but they also have compounds that help to really extend that melatonin in our bodies and our body’s ability to use it,” she said. For people dealing with insomnia, she recommended about 4 to 6 ounces of 100% tart cherry juice or approximately one-quarter cup of dried tart cherries. “It’s a really, really great tool to improve your sleep – and it’s really tasty, too,” Palinski-Wade said. There is an important caveat, however. Research examining tart cherries and sleep remains limited, and studies have produced mixed results. A 2025 systematic review likewise found that the evidence for meaningful improvements in sleep duration or quality was not conclusive. Palinski-Wade also pointed to foods containing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds as potentially beneficial as part of an overall healthy eating pattern. “When we have more antioxidants in the body, more anti-inflammatory compounds, we’re really helping our body to achieve that more restful state,” she said. Examples include nuts and seeds, olive oil and avocados, which provide healthy fats along with other nutrients. But the dietitian said one common part of many people’s daily routines can work against those efforts: caffeine. Palinski-Wade said people who sleep poorly often turn to caffeine the following day for an energy boost, creating a cycle in which fatigue leads to more caffeine consumption. “So many of us have a poor night’s sleep and the next day we reach for caffeine to give us a burst of energy,” she said. “And there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of caffeine, but you have to look at how much you’re having and how close to bedtime.” Because caffeine is a stimulant, consuming larger amounts later in the day can make it more difficult to fall asleep and may interfere with restorative sleep. “And it’s a stimulant, so it’s harder to fall asleep,” Palinski-Wade said. “If you have foods or beverages with a large amount of caffeine, and you’re having them in the afternoon or toward the evening, that is going to make it very hard to get restorative, restful sleep in the evening.” For people who consume caffeine, Palinski-Wade advised stopping roughly 10 hours before bedtime. She identified 300 milligrams or less per day as a “sweet spot,” while noting that higher intake can become a stressor for the body. A traditional 8-ounce cup of coffee contains roughly 100 milligrams of caffeine, although the actual amount can vary substantially depending on the beverage and preparation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults, but individual sensitivity varies. Factors including medications, certain health conditions and personal tolerance can affect how someone responds to caffeine. Palinski-Wade also said excessive caffeine can trigger the release of stress hormones. “We start to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, and that not only makes our body store fat versus burn it, but it also increases inflammation,” she said. “So now you have the stimulant, you have this inflammation, and all those things go against quality sleep.” For people looking for a straightforward place to start, the overall strategy is less about finding one magic sleep-inducing food and more about establishing consistent eating habits. That means building meals around protein, slower-digesting carbohydrates and healthy fats, incorporating nutrient-rich foods such as nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocados, and being mindful of caffeine — particularly later in the day. Tart cherries or 100% tart cherry juice may also be worth considering, although the scientific evidence supporting their sleep benefits remains preliminary. The larger takeaway is that sleep and nutrition can be interconnected, but persistent insomnia or frequent nighttime waking may have many possible causes. People experiencing ongoing sleep problems should discuss them with a health care professional rather than relying solely on dietary changes. The post Want Better Sleep? Dietitian Says This Eating Strategy Could Help appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less