Eating 5 cups of fruits and vegetables improves sleep within 24 hours, study says

People who eat more fruits and vegetables can get better sleep quality, according to a new study — and the benefits can happen overnight.

Researchers from Columbia University and the University of Chicago followed healthy young adults over the course of 2014. They found that those who ate five cups of produce every day – the amount recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – slept up to 16% more, with additional findings, with additional findings for sleep health.

Participants logged their food into the app and wore wristbands that tracked their sleep patterns, including how often they woke up or transitioned between deep and deep sleep stages at night.

Bananas may be ruining your smoothie superpowers, scientists warn

“Sixteen percent is a huge difference,” lead author Dr. Esra Tasali, director of the Chicago Sleep Center, said in a statement.

“It’s amazing that such a meaningful change can be seen within 24 hours.”

Dietary changes can provide an affordable way to improve sleep quality, it added.

One reason may be that carbohydrates and nutrients help the body produce tryptophan, an amino acid that boosts melatonin levels, a hormone that helps regulate sleep, scientists say.

While research has shown that poor sleep can make people more resistant to foods high in fat and sugar, little is known about how food affects sleep patterns.

Your late-night cheese habit can lead to wild dreams and restless sleep, experts warn

Autumn Bates, a California-based clinical nutritionist and author of the book “Food: A simple, balanced way to live well,” offered another explanation for why sleep produces fuel.

“Small changes can have an impact.”

“Fruits and vegetables are low glycemic, which means they help stabilize blood sugar levels,” Bates, who was not involved in the research, told FOX News Digital.

Experts say Hack’s Day and Tumpkin Seed Snack was the one that was worn

“Unstable blood sugar levels cause cortisol to go up while we sleep, where we are threatened. By eating blood-boosting fruits and veggies, it can support undisturbed sleep.”

He said sleep is different in that people can see almost immediate improvement from small changes during the day.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can stabilize blood sugar and promote deep sleep. (Stock)

“People are always asking me if there are things they can eat that will help them sleep better,” the Vagelos professor of nutrition at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Research Leader, said in a statement.

“Small changes can affect sleep. That’s empowering – better rest is in control of you.”

Test yourself with our latest lifestyle quiz

Researchers say meeting the CDC’s five-cup recommendation doesn’t require a big change and can be done throughout the day.

One medium-sized, medium-sized apple, orange, grapefruit, peach or nectarine counts as a cup, and about 22 grapes also equals a cup of fruit.

When it comes to vegetables, 12 baby carrots or two medium carrots make up one cup.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends five cups of fruits and vegetables daily. (Stock)

For leafy greens like spinach, about two cups of raw greens equals one cup when cooked, because spinach leaves shrink a lot during cooking.

A large ear of whole corn contains about one cup if the cobs are removed, and a medium-sized potato contains a full cup of vegetables.

Click here to subscribe to the Lifestyle Newsletter

The researchers say that future studies will examine the specific chase, investigate the environmental factors behind it and extend the findings to different populations. However, they say the current evidence strongly supports making fruits, vegetables and whole grains a daily habit for long-term sleep health.

Study participants (pictured) logged their diet and wore wrist monitors that tracked their sleep patterns. (Stock)

Carolyn Ievers-Lamis, Ph.D., a psychologist and professor of children at Westitric University School in Ohio, so that this study was not able to sleep more – that those who eat more sleep sleep better.

Click here for more life stories

“There’s a high probability that these people are in perfect health — that they’re getting more work, they’re probably drinking less alcohol and they’re probably spending more time on environmental research,” Fox News Digital said.

Click here for the FOX News app

“However, it’s always a good idea to eat healthy foods and engage in healthy behaviors to get ready for sleep.”

FOX News Digital has reached out to the investigators for comment.