Dietitian shares eating tips to boost sleep and warns against late caffeine

Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and certified diabetes care specialist, advises that the foods you eat influence nighttime rest. Maintaining stable glucose by combining lean proteins, slow-digesting carbohydrates, and healthy fats is her top recommendation for better sleep. She points to tart cherry juice, which contains high melatonin levels, as a useful supplement, suggesting 4-6 ounces of 100% juice or a quarter cup of dried cherries for those with insomnia.

Antioxidant-rich foods such as nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocados also help create a calmer body state. Conversely, she warns that caffeine consumed in the afternoon or evening can trigger cortisol and adrenaline release, making it harder to fall asleep; she advises stopping caffeine about 10 hours before bed and limiting total intake to 300 milligrams per day. The FDA notes up to 400 milligrams is generally safe, but individual tolerance varies.