Getting too much sleep and not enough sleep can both lead to health issues, so the revelation that fruit and vegetable consumption seems to be correlated with optimal sleep duration is interesting. However, that doesn’t mean eating more fruits and vegetables will cure insomnia – so it’s important to consider what else this correlation might mean.

As Dr Devika Bhushan, chief medical officer of Daybreak Health, told Medical News Today: “[The result of this study] raises the question of which came first – the sleep atypicality or the lower fruit and vegetable intake – and whether both are in fact referable to underlying stress biology.

“Many stress-related health conditions, ranging from depression and chronic pain to heart and lung disease, can disturb healthy sleep habits and lead to atypical sleep duration. And stress pathway activation can also promote cravings for higher-calorie, higher-fat and carbohydrate-rich foods, often decreasing overall fruit and vegetable intake.”

Does eating healthily help you sleep better? A new study has found a link