How you eat may be connected to how you sleep

The average adult should get a minimum of seven hours of sleep daily, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations. An estimated50 to 70 million Americans are diagnosed with a sleep disorder (ex., sleep apnea, insomnia) that prevents optimal sleep outcomes, and what we eat may play a role.

A study by George Mason University registered dietitian and clinical nutrition researcher Raedeh Basirishowed that blood sugar levels-whether in individuals with or without diabetes-are linked to sleep quality. The research found that blood glucose patterns, diabetes management, and the types of foods people eat all were associated with how well they sleep:

• Individuals with diabetes were more likely to have trouble sleeping, be diagnosed with sleep disorders, and have abnormal sleep duration compared to individualswithout diabetes. Those with prediabetes showed similar patterns, but not as strongly.

• Strict dietary management and diabetes control were associated with more sleep difficulties, suggesting that blood-sugar status and the types of foods you eat may play important roles in how well you sleep.

• Low-protein diets, especially when combined with high-fat intake, were most consistently linked to poor sleep across the board. On the other hand, low-carb, high-fat diets were associated with a lower likelihood of short sleep duration in both people with diabetes and those with normal blood sugar.

Basiri's research highlights the importance of considering both dietary patterns and blood sugar status when developing strategies to improve sleep.

Glycemic status and macronutrient intake as predictors of sleep outcomes: an analysis of NHANES 2007-2020 data waspublished in October 2025, in Frontiers.

About the researcher

RaedehBasiri is a registered dietitian and an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason's College of Public Health. Basiri is a clinical nutrition researcher specializing in personalized nutrition therapy and the use of emerging technologies, such as continuous glucose monitoring, to improve outcomes in individuals with prediabetes, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Her work combines randomized controlled trials and large-scale data analysis to investigate how whole foods and dietary patterns impact insulin resistance, glycemic control, sleep, and both mental and gut health. Basiri takes a rigorous, interdisciplinary approach and is deeply committed to chronic disease prevention, collaborative research, and mentoring future professionals.

Thumbnail photo by Slaapwijsheid.nl via Unsplash.