Diet promotes sleep duration and quality.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing existing literature without systematic search methodology
PubMed 22652369 · doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2012.03.009
What was done
The authors conducted a narrative review of clinical trials (mostly in healthy subjects) and physiological mechanisms to evaluate whether ingested foods, bedtime nutrients, and traditional remedies like milk and herbal products affect sleep duration and quality.
What was found
The abstract provides no numerical data, effect estimates, or sample sizes. The authors found that foods affecting tryptophan availability and the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin appear to be the most helpful for promoting sleep.
Why it matters
This review outlines the physiological pathways connecting dietary intake to sleep regulation, highlighting potential nutritional targets for sleep support that warrant further clinical investigation.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic search protocol and risk-of-bias assessment. The abstract reports no quantitative metrics or study counts, focuses mostly on healthy subjects rather than populations with clinical sleep disorders, and notes that clinical relevance remains to be established.
Cited by
- context Consuming evening carbohydrates triggers a serotonin and melatonin response.