Going on the Atkins, South Beach, Zone or Weight Watchers diets may help promote better sleep.
New research reveals that overweight adults on a high-protein diet got better sleep than those on a normal-protein weight loss diet.
Researchers at Indiana's Purdue University conducted two different studies, which involved a total of 58 participants.
The first study, which involved 14 participants, revealed that eating more protein-rich foods led to better sleep after four weeks of weight loss.
For the second study, which involved 44 overweight or obese individuals, participants were divided into two diet groups: normal-protein and higher-protein. Participants in the normal-protein diet group consumed 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight, and those in the higher-protein group consumed 1.5 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight daily for 16 weeks. Participants also filled out surveys about sleep quality every month throughout the study.
The findings revealed that participants who ate more protein while losing weight reported significant improvements in sleep quality after three and four months of losing weight.
"Most research looks at the effects of sleep on diet and weight control, and our research flipped that question to ask what are the effects of weight loss and diet - specifically the amount of protein - on sleep," said Wayne Campbell, a nutrition science professor. "We found that while consuming a lower calorie diet with a higher amount of protein, sleep quality improves for middle-age adults. This sleep quality is better compared to those who lost the same amount of weight while consuming a normal amount of protein."
Researchers said the latest findings reveal that eating more protein when losing weight can help improve sleep in overweight adults.
"The consumption of a greater proportion of energy from protein while dieting may improve sleep in overweight and obese adult," wrote the study's authors.
Researchers said the latest findings are important because poor sleep has been linked to various health conditions.
"Short sleep duration and compromised sleep quality frequently lead to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and premature death," said first study author Jing Zhou, a doctoral student in nutrition science at Purdue University. "Given the high prevalence of sleep problems, it's important to know how changes to diet and lifestyle can help improve sleep."
The findings were published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
