EAT YOUR WAY TO BETTER SLEEP
Stock your kitchen with the right whole foods, support gut health with targeted supplements, and let your microbiome do the rest.
Research shows that gut health affects sleep, immunity, and even cognitive ability. This relationship is governed by the trillions of bacteria that live in your digestive tract. Beyond helping you to digest your food, they also produce neurotransmitters that tell your nervous system it's safe to slow down and sleep.
THE LINK BETWEEN DIET AND SLEEP
The neurotransmitter that controls this relationship between the gut and sleep is GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid. Its main role is to put the brakes on our central nervous system activity and shift the body out of its ‘fight or flight’ state — which helps to slow the nervous system, quiet anxious thoughts, and allows sleep to arrive.
The good news — what we eat is directly linked to the production of GABA, which means you can eat your way to better sleep. GABA is synthesised through a three-step conversion, where glucose is converted to glutamate, which is then further broken down into GABA via an enzyme called glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). This reduces sleep latency (the time you take to fall asleep) by quieting our hyperactive thoughts. It also balances cortisol levels so you don’t wake up in the middle of the night.
But for this enzyme to function, it needs a precise team of cofactors — all of which come from your diet. Each nutrient serves a distinct role, and adding all of them into your diet gives your brain the best chance of producing enough GABA for restful sleep.
VITAMIN B6
The GAD enzyme requires vitamin B6 to function. Without enough B6, you can have all the glutamate in the world and still produce very little GABA. Vitamin B6 deficiency is also common in people who drink alcohol regularly, use contraceptive pills, or eat a lot of processed food — all of which deplete availability of B6.
- Find it in: Chickpeas, tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey, beef, potatoes, bananas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pistachio nuts, avocado
MAGNESIUM
Magnesium works alongside B6 to support GAD activity — low magnesium blunts B6's effectiveness. Magnesium also directly activates GABA receptors in the brain, which helps your brain respond to the GABA produced.
- Find it in: Pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, almonds, cashews, rolled oats, quinoa, brown rice, spinach, black beans, edamame, kidney beans, tofu, banana
IRON
Iron is involved in synthesising various neurotransmitters, including GABA, serotonin and dopamine — the happy hormones. Iron deficiency is also strongly associated with poor sleep, restless legs, and low mood.
- Find it in: Heme iron — beef, lamb, chicken liver, oysters, sardines, tuna, salmon, eggs. Non-heme sources — Lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, spinach, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, dark chocolate, dried apricots
ZINC
Like magnesium, it modulates GABA receptors directly and fine-tunes neuron sensitivity to GABA signalling. It also supports the general enzyme activity needed for neurotransmitter synthesis. Interestingly, zinc and magnesium are often co-depleted (both are lost through sweat, stress, and a diet high in refined grains), which is why you tend to see them combined in sleep and recovery supplements.
- Find it in: Oysters, beef, lamb, crab, chicken, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, cashews, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, tempeh
GLUTAMATE
This is the actual molecule being converted into GABA. Glutamate in the right amounts drives alertness and focus, but the GAD enzyme flips it into calming GABA. A diet low in glutamate-rich foods can mean less raw material available for conversion, but the bigger issue for most people is the efficiency of that conversion — which is why we need the cofactors.
- Find it in: Miso, dried shiitake mushrooms, kombu/seaweed, tomatoes (especially sun-dried), slow-cooked meats, bone broth, walnuts, peas, spinach, tofu, tempeh, edamame
PROBIOTICS
In vitro and human clinical trials have identified a few standout strains that act as high-capacity "GABA factories" in the gut. Lactobacillaceae are considered primary GABA producers, and the presence of GAD genes has also been reported in the Bifidobacterium strain. However, GABA-producting bacteria is strain specific and is highly dependent on the activity of the GAD enzyme and its team of cofactors.
The gut-brain axis is a two-way relationship, and a well-fed, diverse microbiome can positively affect your mood, energy, stress response, and sleep quality. If you're waking between 2 to 4am, lying awake with a racing mind, or feeling un-refreshed despite adequate hours in bed, it's worth relooking your gut health and learning how to nourish it sustainably through food, targeted nutrients, and the right probiotics.