Tag Archive for: sleep

The rising prevalence of insomnia has inspired this research on identifying the best food for improving sleep quality in humans. However, there is still no direct evidence to conclude specific food recommendations for sleep. Therefore, this study’s objective is to unravel the relationship between diets, particularly carbohydrate foods, and sleep.

Following PRISMA guidelines, a search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, which focuses mainly on the effects of natural and refined carbohydrates on sleep in order to avoid redundancy with previous reviews.

The findings suggest that diets rich in natural carbohydrates, such as kiwi fruits, tart cherries, rice, and milk, enhance sleep quality. White rice, with its complex carbohydrate structure, increases REM sleep and reduces SWS. On the contrary, processed carbohydrates found in noodles, confectionery, carbonated drinks, and processed foods are positively associated with sleep disruptions due to greater insulin response and reduced tryptophan availability.

In conclusion, natural carbohydrates have a positive impact on sleep, while refined carbohydrates and specific carbohydrate-containing foods may have negative effects. However, the multifaceted roles of sleep-inducing hormones and their crucial contribution to the circadian rhythm should also be considered aside from the mechanism of carbohydrates in sleep.