Nut consumption was associated with greater diet quality scores and better self-reported sleep quality among undergraduate students, and a review of existing RCTs found that nut intake may improve sleep quality but with significant heterogeneity across trials.
Only 16% of the 139 dietary recall days contained nuts among the 46 undergraduate participants.
Mean Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI) scores were significantly greater on days that contained nuts compared to nut-free days.
Multiple specific HEI component scores were significantly higher on nut-containing days than on nut-free days.
Participants reported better sleep quality on days following nut consumption.
A literature search identified four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining nut intake and sleep-related outcomes in healthy adults.
This research suggests that on days when undergraduate students ate peanuts or tree nuts, they also ate more healthfully overall — scoring nearly 20 points higher on a standardized diet quality measure (the Healthy Eating Index-2020) compared to days without nut consumption. Students also reported sleeping better on nights that followed days when they had eaten nuts. The study involved 46 college students who recorded everything they ate on three separate days, and only about 16% of those recorded days included any nuts at all, suggesting most young adults rarely eat them. The researchers also reviewed existing clinical trials on nuts and sleep and found only four relevant studies, with mixed results depending on what type of nut was studied, how much was consumed, when it was eaten, and who the participants were. This inconsistency makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions from the existing scientific literature alone. This research suggests that regularly including nuts in the diet could be a simple way to improve overall eating habits and potentially support better sleep, though the sleep findings are preliminary and based on self-reporting rather than objective measurements like sleep monitors. The authors call for larger, more rigorous studies using objective sleep tracking to better understand whether and how nut consumption affects sleep quality.
Tindall A, Kissell M. (2026). The Role of Peanuts and Tree Nuts in Improving Diet and Sleep Quality: A Pilot Study and Literature Review.. Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18040579