Want to sleep better? Bulk up on protein, animal study suggests

Protein-rich diets help mice and flies sleep better, New Scientist reports. In a new study, researchers placed fruit flies atop a speaker that would vibrate at different intervals throughout the night. Half as many flies on a protein-rich diet woke up to the vibrating speaker compared with those on the normal diet. A similar finding held true for mice. In flies, the added protein boosted molecules in the gut that promote deeper sleep. Diet didn't affect how the animals reacted when heat was used instead of vibrations. The findings suggest the systems that control sleep go far beyond the nerves and brain, the team reports this week in Cell, and the gut could play a special role in regulating sleep. Although this study may not apply directly to humans, it is consistent with previous observations that a high-protein diet led to deeper sleep in people. The study adds to a growing body of research showing protein is essential to sleep because it sates animals more than similar amounts of other nutrients.