Struggling with sleep? Learn why sleep quality matters for brain health, metabolism, and mood—plus realistic bedtime routines and foods that support better sleep.

When my patients and I talk about improving their health, most of the conversation tends to center around nutrition, exercise/physical activity, and stress management. And while those absolutely matter, there’s a fourth pillar that quietly influences the first three, often more than we realize: sleep.

The challenge is that sleep is easy to de-prioritize. It doesn’t feel productive. It doesn’t come with immediate praise or visible results. And in a culture that often equates “busy” with “successful,” sleep is usually the first thing to go.

But the reality is that sleep isn’t passive. It’s one of the most active and restorative processes in the body.

During sleep, your brain is regulating hormones, consolidating memory, repairing cells, and clearing out metabolic waste that builds up throughout the day [1]. It’s also when your body recalibrates systems that influence everything from hunger cues to stress response [2]. In other words, sleep isn’t separate from your health goals; it’s foundational to them.

This builds directly on what we talked about in last year’s brain health post: your daily habits don’t just impact how you feel now; they shape long-term cognitive health. And sleep is one of the most powerful (and most overlooked) pieces of that equation [3].

Why Sleep Matters More Than You Think

It’s easy to think of poor sleep as just feeling groggy the next day. But the impact runs much deeper—and often more subtly—than that.

For starters, sleep plays a critical role in brain health and cognitive function [4]. When I discuss sleep with my patients, I always tell them that the brain essentially “cleans house,” clearing out byproducts that accumulate during waking hours. I imagine it as a bunch of little characters with brooms and mops, tidying away. Over time, consistently poor sleep has been associated with greater buildup of compounds linked to cognitive decline. In my imaginative scenario, it’s akin to flipping a light switch and having all of those little housecleaners scurry away, not having finished their job, and the muck keeps accumulating. That’s not meant to be alarmist. It’s a reminder that sleep is part of long-term health, not just short-term energy.

Sleep is also deeply intertwined with hormonal regulation [5]. When sleep is disrupted, so are the hormones that control hunger, fullness, stress, and blood sugar. This is one of the reasons you might notice stronger cravings or less patience around food choices after a poor night of sleep. It’s not a lack of willpower, it’s physiology.

And then there’s mood and mental clarity. Sleep deprivation doesn’t just make you tired; it can make you feel more reactive, less focused, and more overwhelmed by things that would normally feel manageable [6]. Over time, that can affect everything from work performance to relationships.

When you zoom out, sleep supports:

• Energy and focus
• Metabolic health
• Emotional regulation
• Long-term brain health

Which is why improving sleep quality often creates a ripple effect across nearly every other area of well-being.

Quality vs. Quantity: Why You Need Both

We hear a lot about getting “7–9 hours of sleep,” and while that’s a helpful guideline, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

You can technically be in bed for eight hours and still wake up feeling exhausted. That’s because sleep quality matters just as much as sleep duration.

High-quality sleep means moving through the natural sleep cycles—light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep—without frequent disruptions. These cycles are what allow your body and brain to fully restore, regulate, and reset.

So many factors can affect sleep quality, whether it’s getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, doom scrolling, or suffering through symptoms of menopause. If your sleep quality is off, you might notice:

• Waking up feeling unrefreshed
• Needing multiple alarms (and still struggling)
• Energy crashes throughout the day
• A reliance on caffeine just to feel “normal”

Often, this isn’t about needing more hours; it’s about supporting more consistent, uninterrupted sleep.

And that’s where daily habits come in.

How to Build (and Actually Stick to) a Bedtime Routine

Most people don’t struggle with knowing they should have a bedtime routine—they struggle with making one that fits into real life.

The key is to think less about creating a “perfect” routine and more about building a predictable rhythm that signals to your body it’s time to wind down.

One of the most effective starting points is actually your wake-up time, not your bedtime [7]. Waking up at a consistent time—even on weekends—helps regulate your internal clock (circadian rhythm), which in turn makes it easier to fall asleep at night.

From there, creating a wind-down window—even just 30 minutes—can make a noticeable difference. This doesn’t need to be elaborate. It might look like dimming the lights, putting your phone away, doing a short stretch, or reading something low-stimulation. The thing that works best for me is setting an alarm at 8pm every day. When that alarm goes off, it’s time to start working on winding down. I close my computer, wash my face, put on my jammies, and journal and/or brain dump. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s creating a transition between “day mode” and “sleep mode.”

I realize that modern life doesn’t exactly support great sleep. Screens, stress, irregular schedules—they all add friction. So instead of aiming for a rigid routine, focus on making your habits easy and repeatable.

I say this in every patient session, and I’ll say it here, too: consistency is key.

Foods That Support Better Sleep

Sleep and nutrition are more connected than most people realize—and not just in the obvious “don’t drink coffee before bed” kind of way [8].

Certain nutrients play a role in supporting the body’s natural sleep processes [9]. For example, magnesium is involved in muscle relaxation and nervous system regulation, which can help the body shift into a more restful state. Foods like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains can contribute to overall intake.

Tryptophan, an amino acid found in foods like turkey, dairy, and eggs, is a precursor to serotonin—which then helps produce melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep [10]. Pairing these foods with carbohydrates can actually help improve their uptake in the brain, which is why a small, balanced snack in the evening can sometimes support sleep rather than disrupt it.

There’s also emerging interest in foods that naturally contain melatonin, like tart cherries and walnuts, though these are more supportive than magical solutions.

At the same time, it’s not just about what you add—it’s also about what might interfere. Alcohol, for example, can make you feel sleepy initially but often disrupts sleep quality later in the night [11]. Large, heavy meals or high-sugar foods close to bedtime can also make it harder for the body to fully settle.

As with most things in nutrition, it’s about patterns, not perfection.

The Sleep–Gut–Brain Connection

If there’s one thing we’re continuing to learn, it’s that the body doesn’t operate in silos—and sleep is a perfect example of that.

Your gut and brain are in constant communication through what’s known as the gut-brain axis. This connection plays a role in mood, immune function, and sleep.

A significant portion of serotonin (a precursor to melatonin) is produced in the gut. So when gut health is off—whether due to stress, poor diet, or other factors—it can indirectly influence sleep patterns.

At the same time, poor sleep can negatively impact gut health by increasing inflammation and altering the balance of gut bacteria [12]. Over time, this can create a cycle where sleep and gut health continuously influence each other.

The takeaway isn’t to overcomplicate things; it’s to recognize that supporting foundational habits like balanced nutrition, stress management, and sleep often improves multiple systems at once.

Why Sleep Feels So Hard Right Now

If you’ve ever thought, “I know what to do, I just can’t seem to do it,” you’re not alone…and it’s not just about discipline.

Modern routines are often misaligned with how our bodies are designed to function [13]. We’re exposed to more light at night, more stimulation, and more constant input than ever before. Add in stress, responsibilities, and unpredictable schedules, and it makes sense that sleep can feel like a struggle.

There’s also a subtle cultural message that sleep is optional—that getting by on less is somehow a badge of honor [14]. But biologically, that doesn’t hold up.

An important distinction here is that your body doesn’t adapt to needing less sleep; it adapts to functioning poorly on less sleep.

Small Changes That Make a Big Difference

Improving sleep doesn’t require an all-or-nothing overhaul. In fact, the most sustainable changes are often the smallest ones.

Shifting your bedtime slightly earlier, getting natural light in the morning, moving your body regularly, and creating even a short wind-down routine can all help reinforce your body’s natural rhythm [15].

The same foundational habits I already talk about with my patients—balanced meals, stress management, consistency—are the ones that support better sleep, too.

Which is why this isn’t about adding more to your proverbial plate.

It’s about recognizing that many of the things you’re already working on are connected, and that sleep might be the missing piece that helps everything else click into place.

The Bottom Line

If nutrition is the fuel and movement is the engine, sleep is what keeps the entire system functioning the way it’s supposed to.

You don’t need a perfect routine. You don’t need to get it right every night.

But consistently getting enough high-quality sleep is one of the most impactful things you can do for your health—now and long-term.

And it’s worth prioritizing accordingly.

References

1. Jiao, Y., Butoyi, C., Zhang, Q., Araújo, A., Chen, M., Shen, W., Wang, D., Yuan, G., & Jia, J. (2025). Sleep disorders impact hormonal regulation: unravelling the relationship among sleep disorders, hormones and metabolic diseases. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13098-025-01871-w
2. ‌Gomes, S., Cátia Ramalhete, Ferreira, I., Bicho, M., & Valente, A. (2023). Sleep Patterns, Eating Behavior and the Risk of Noncommunicable Diseases. Nutrients, 15(11), 2462–2462. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15112462
3. ‌Fetter, D. (2018, January 15). Sleep: The Most Underrated Healthy Habit. American Society for Nutrition. https://nutrition.org/sleep-the-most-underrated-healthy-habit/
4. ‌Hyndych, A., El-Abassi, R., & Mader, E. C. (2025). The Role of Sleep and the Effects of Sleep Loss on Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Processes. Cureus, 17(5). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.84232
5. ‌Tennessee, S. C. of M. (2022, February 22). Hormones and Sleep: How Sleep Affects Your Hormones. Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee. https://sleepcenterinfo.com/blog/hormones-sleep/
6. ‌Digre, K. (2023, June 26). Why At Least 7 Hours of Sleep Is Essential for Brain Health | Neurology Department | U of U School of Medicine. Medicine.utah.edu. https://medicine.utah.edu/neurology/news/2023/06/why-at-least-seven-hours-of-sleep-is-essential
7. ‌Consistent Wake-Up Time: Sleep’s Surprising MVP. (n.d.). Headspace. https://www.headspace.com/articles/sleep-health-2-consistent-wake-up-time-sleeps-surprising-mvp
8. ‌Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J., & Roth, T. (2013). Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 09(11). https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3170
9. ‌Is There a Diet for Better Sleep? (2024, October 18). Ncoa.org. https://www.ncoa.org/article/foods-that-help-you-sleep/
10. ‌Cleveland Clinic. (2022, March 18). Serotonin. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin
11. ‌Alcohol and Insomnia: How Alcohol Affects Sleep. (n.d.). American Addiction Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcohol/risks-effects-dangers/insomnia
12. ‌Vikesh Khanijow, Prakash, P., Emsellem, H. A., Borum, M. L., & Doman, D. B. (2015). Sleep Dysfunction and Gastrointestinal Diseases. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 11(12), 817. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4849511/
13. ‌Cepni, A. B., Kirschmann, J. M., Rodriguez, A., & Johnston, C. A. (2025). When Routines Break: The Health Implications of Disrupted Daily Life. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276251381626
14. ‌Worley, S. L. (2018). The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep: The Detrimental Effects of Inadequate Sleep on Health and Public Safety Drive an Explosion of Sleep Research. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 43(12), 758–763. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6281147/
15. ‌de Menezes-Júnior, L. A. A., Sabião, T. da S., Carraro, J. C. C., Machado-Coelho, G. L. L., & Meireles, A. L. (2025). The role of sunlight in sleep regulation: analysis of morning, evening and late exposure. BMC Public Health, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24618-8