Researchers in Saudi Arabia studied over 1,000 adults to understand how their eating habits affect their sleep quality. They found that 77% of people in the study had poor sleep. The good news? Eating more fruits, fish, and beans seemed to help people sleep better, while eating lots of sugary foods and starches made sleep worse. The study also discovered that men and women responded differently to certain foods—for example, fish helped women sleep better, but sweets bothered both groups. This research suggests that changing what you eat might be a simple way to improve your sleep without needing medicine.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether the foods people eat have a connection to how well they sleep at night
  • Who participated: 1,041 adults living in Saudi Arabia who answered questions about their eating habits and sleep patterns. The group included both men and women of various ages.
  • Key finding: Three out of four people (77%) had poor sleep quality. People who ate more fruits, fish, and legumes slept better, while those eating lots of sweets and starchy foods had worse sleep.
  • What it means for you: If you struggle with sleep, paying attention to what you eat—especially eating more fruits and fish while cutting back on sweets—might help you sleep better. However, this is one study, so talk to a doctor before making big dietary changes, especially if you have health conditions.

The Research Details

This was a cross-sectional study, which means researchers took a snapshot of people’s eating habits and sleep quality at one point in time, rather than following them over months or years. The researchers asked 1,041 Saudi adults to fill out questionnaires about what they typically eat and how well they sleep. They used a standard sleep quality measurement tool called the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which asks questions about how long it takes to fall asleep, how many times you wake up, and how tired you feel during the day. They also created their own questions about eating habits, asking people how often they eat different types of foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, and sweets. Then they looked for patterns—did people who ate certain foods tend to sleep better or worse?

This approach is useful because it’s quick and can include many people, helping researchers spot patterns between diet and sleep. However, because it’s a snapshot rather than following people over time, we can’t be completely sure that food causes better sleep—it could be that people who sleep well also happen to eat healthier foods for other reasons.

The study’s main strength is its large number of participants (over 1,000 people), which makes the findings more reliable. However, the study relied on people remembering and honestly reporting what they eat and how they sleep, which can be inaccurate. The researchers also didn’t measure things like exercise, stress, or caffeine intake, which could affect sleep. Additionally, the study only included people from Saudi Arabia, so the results might not apply to people in other countries with different food cultures.

What the Results Show

The most striking finding was that 77.4% of the study participants had poor sleep quality according to standard measurements. Women reported worse sleep than men—they took longer to fall asleep, woke up more often, and felt more tired during the day. When researchers looked at eating patterns, they found that most people weren’t eating enough healthy foods: only about 38% ate enough fruits, 28% ate enough vegetables, and 39% ate enough fish. Meanwhile, many people ate too much of less healthy foods: 41% ate too many starches (like bread and rice), and 30% ate too many sweets. The key finding was that people who ate more fruits, fish, and legumes (beans and lentils) tended to sleep better and feel less tired during the day. In contrast, people who ate lots of starches, sweets, and dairy products had more trouble falling asleep, woke up more often, and felt more exhausted the next day.

The study found important differences between men and women. For men, eating fruits, vegetables, dairy, and legumes all helped improve sleep quality, while eating starches and sweets made sleep worse. For women, the pattern was different: sweets were particularly harmful to sleep, and fish was especially helpful for sleeping better and reducing daytime tiredness. This suggests that men and women might benefit from slightly different dietary approaches to improve their sleep.

This research supports what other studies have suggested—that what we eat influences how well we sleep. Previous research has shown that sugary foods and refined carbohydrates can disrupt sleep, while foods rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish) and fiber (found in fruits and vegetables) tend to support better sleep. This Saudi Arabian study adds to that evidence by showing these patterns in a large group of people and by revealing that the effects might differ between men and women.

This study has several important limitations to keep in mind. First, people filled out questionnaires about their eating and sleep habits from memory, which means they might not remember accurately or might answer in ways they think are ‘correct’ rather than truthfully. Second, the study only looked at one moment in time, so we can’t prove that changing your diet will actually improve your sleep—only that people who eat certain foods tend to sleep better. Third, the researchers didn’t account for other important factors that affect sleep, like how much exercise people get, how stressed they are, how much caffeine they drink, or their overall health conditions. Finally, because all the participants were from Saudi Arabia, these findings might not apply to people in other parts of the world who have different food cultures and lifestyles.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, if you want to improve your sleep, consider eating more fruits, fish, and legumes (beans), and reducing your intake of sweets and excessive starches. These changes appear to be associated with better sleep quality. However, this is one study showing a connection, not proof of cause and effect, so results may vary from person to person. If you have sleep problems or health conditions, consult with a doctor or registered dietitian before making significant dietary changes.

Anyone struggling with poor sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, or daytime tiredness might benefit from looking at their diet. This is especially relevant for people in Middle Eastern countries with similar food cultures, though the general principles may apply more broadly. People with specific health conditions, allergies, or those taking medications should talk to their healthcare provider before changing their diet. This research is less directly applicable to people who already sleep well and eat a balanced diet.

Sleep quality changes don’t happen overnight. If you modify your diet to include more fruits, fish, and legumes while reducing sweets, you might notice improvements in how quickly you fall asleep and how rested you feel within 2-4 weeks. However, some people may see changes sooner or later depending on their individual circumstances. Consistency matters—occasional changes won’t have much effect, but sustained dietary changes over weeks and months are more likely to improve sleep.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your daily intake of three key food groups: servings of fruits and vegetables, fish or legume meals, and sugary snacks or sweets. Also rate your sleep quality each morning on a simple 1-10 scale and note how rested you feel. After 2-4 weeks, look for patterns between what you ate and how well you slept.
  • Set a specific, achievable goal like ’eat one fruit or vegetable with each meal’ or ‘have fish or beans twice a week’ while ’limiting sweets to 2-3 times per week.’ Use the app to plan meals ahead and get reminders to eat these foods, then log them as you go. This makes the connection between eating and sleeping more visible and helps you stay motivated.
  • Use the app to create a simple sleep and diet journal. Each morning, rate your sleep quality and note how tired you feel. Each evening, log what you ate that day, focusing on fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, and sweets. After 4-8 weeks, review your data to see if better eating habits correlate with better sleep. Share this information with your doctor if sleep problems persist.

This research shows a connection between eating habits and sleep quality, but it does not prove that changing your diet will definitely improve your sleep. Individual results vary based on genetics, health conditions, medications, and lifestyle factors. If you have chronic sleep problems, sleep disorders, or health conditions, consult with a healthcare provider or sleep specialist before making dietary changes. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before starting new supplements or making significant dietary changes, especially if you take medications or have existing health conditions.