High-Protein Diets May Improve Sleep Quality

There are many possible causes for poor sleep.

Stress, too much screen time, caffeine, diet, and even weight, can all prevent you from getting a great nights sleep.

One proven benefit of weight loss in obese patients is that it can improve their quality of sleep. But is it the weight loss itself results in the better nights sleep, or is it the diet itself that helps you sleep better?

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has released a new study that answered just that. Two randomized controlled trials compared the change in sleep quality between high-protein diets compared to diets with average protein intake. The results were clear. While all diets showed some marked improvement, the patients who lost weight via a high-protein diet saw significantly greater improvement.

High-protein diets refer to diets with higher percentages of calories coming from protein than from carbohydrates or fats.

It’s an interesting discovery, but it makes sense. High-protein foods are going to contain different vitamins and minerals than foods high in carbohydrates or fats. That doesn’t necessarily mean that high-protein foods are the healthiest foods or the best choice for your everyday diet, but these foods may contain high levels of the nutrients you need to get the rest you need.