- Good quality sleep is essential for staying physically and mentally healthy.
- An adult should aim to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep a night for maximum benefit, but many people struggle to achieve this.
- Studies investigating the effect of diet on sleep quality have not drawn firm conclusions, but suggest that a healthful diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, could improve sleep in some people.
- Now, a study has found that plant proteins may improve sleep quality, while animal proteins can have the opposite effect.
People need to sleep to stay healthy, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Inadequate, or poor quality sleep
To improve sleep quality doctors advise:
- going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends
- developing a relaxing bedtime routine
- ensuring the bedroom is dark, quiet, not too warm, and the bed is comfortable
- to stop using electronic devices 2 hours before bedtime
- avoiding caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
- exercising regularly
- managing stress, using relaxation techniques if necessary.
Now, researchers in Ireland and the United States have examined whether protein affects sleep quality. They found that while overall protein intake had no effect, protein from plant sources may improve the quality of a person’s sleep, while protein from animal sources can impair sleep quality.
The study appears in
Kelsey Costa, M.S., R.D.N., a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Dietitian…
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