Dietitian says balanced meals and tart cherries may support better sleep; limit late caffeine

NEW YORK - How you eat during the day can shape how you sleep at night, New Jersey registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade told Fox News Digital.

Palinski-Wade, a certified diabetes care specialist and author of "The Sleepdemic Solution," said overnight wake-ups are not always classic insomnia. They can follow swings in blood sugar. Her top food strategy is combining lean protein, slow-digesting carbohydrates and healthy fats at meals and snacks to keep glucose steadier.

She named tart cherries, or 100% tart cherry juice, as a standout food because they contain natural melatonin and compounds that may help the body use it longer. For people with insomnia, she suggested 4 to 6 ounces of juice or about a quarter cup of dried tart cherries. Fox noted that research on tart cherries and sleep is limited and mixed, including a 2025 systematic review with cautious findings.

Foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocado, may also support rest, she said. The habit to avoid is late caffeine. Palinski-Wade advised stopping caffeine at least 10 hours before bedtime and keeping daily intake near 300 milligrams or less.

CDC figures cited in related coverage show roughly three in 10 U.S. adults sleep less than seven hours. For older adults, better sleep supports memory, balance and heart health. The advice is practical rather than a miracle cure: steady meals, earlier coffee cutoffs, and a measured tart-cherry trial if your clinician has no objection.