Think of your body as running on two power sources: the food you eat and the sleep you get. One fuels you up, the other recharges you – and when either runs low, your F45 workout, recovery, and energy all feel it.
It’s why you get late-night sweet cravings and reach for the wrong things when you’re running on no sleep – and why a restless night can follow a day of not eating well. Poor sleep nudges you toward poorer food choices, and poorer food choices make good sleep harder to come by.
The good news? It works both ways – improve one and the other tends to follow.
In this guide, we’ll unpack how sleep and nutrition feed into each other, the foods that help you sleep better, and why recovery matters more to your results than you might think.
How are nutrition and sleep connected?
Sleep and nutrition are connected through the hormonal, metabolic, and circadian systems that regulate energy balance1. What this means is that the same internal signals that decide how hungry you feel, how you use energy, and when your body wants to wind down are all talking to each other. Food influences those signals, and so does sleep – which is why the two are intertwined.
How does nutrition affect sleep?
Nutrition affects sleep by supplying the building blocks your body needs to produce melatonin, the hormone that signals it’s time to rest. Your body draws on the macronutrients you eat throughout the day – particularly tryptophan, which is derived from protein – converting it into serotonin and then melatonin, with magnesium and B vitamins supporting the process. Balanced, nutritious meals help keep these nutrients in steady supply.
Heavily processed, sugar-rich foods – especially late at night – can work against this process, and make it harder to get the quality sleep your body needs.
How does sleep affect nutrition?
Sleep – or the lack of it – directly shapes your food choices. When you’re sleep-deprived, the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness (leptin and ghrelin) fall out of balance, so you feel hungrier, take longer to feel satisfied after eating, and battle stronger sugar cravings.
Tiredness also drains your drive. It’s a lot harder to prep a nutritious meal when you’re running on empty, and a lot easier to feel unmotivated to work out altogether – which makes skipping your F45 session and reaching for that quick, less nutritious option more tempting.
7 foods that help you sleep
Struggling to sleep? The right foods can help. Foods that help you sleep are often rich in tryptophan and magnesium (nutrients that help your body relax and wind down) and they’re easy to add to your diet! Read on for a few of our favorites.
1. Kiwi fruit
Small but mighty, kiwi fruit is packed with antioxidants and serotonin – both of which are linked to better rest. In fact, some recent studies suggest that eating two kiwi fruits around an hour before bed can support how well, and how long, you sleep.3
2. Tart cherries
Tart cherries – and their juice – are one of the few foods that naturally contain melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.4 That makes them a handy, natural way to help your body know it’s time to wind down.
3. Dairy foods
There’s a reason “warm milk before bed” has stuck around for generations. Dairy foods are a source of tryptophan, the essential amino acid your body uses to produce serotonin and, in turn, melatonin – the same chain behind your natural sleep signals.5
4. Nuts and seeds
Almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds bring magnesium and healthy fats to the table, both of which support normal muscle and nerve function – a small but useful link between nutrition and sleep quality.5 Better still, nuts and seeds travel well – they’re easy to throw into your gym bag for a quick and healthy snack to eat before or after your workout.
5. Wholegrains
Wholegrains – think oats, brown rice, or wholegrain toast – provide healthy carbohydrates that release energy slowly and help you feel full for longer.6 That’s the key difference from fast, refined carbs like white bread, sugary cereals, or biscuits, which spike your blood sugar and drop it just as quickly – often leaving you hungry (and a little restless) not long after.
6. Oily fish
Salmon, sardines, and mackerel are all foods that help you sleep, thanks to their omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D – two nutrients that studies have shown to be beneficial for sleep quality.5 Meal prepping them into your dinners a couple of times a week is a solid, well-rounded move for your whole body, not just your sleep.
7. Herbal teas
Chamomile and lemon balm teas are bedtime classics. A warm, caffeine-free cup is an easy thing to habit-stack into your evening – a signal to your body that the day is winding down. Teas are also a gentle way to work anti-inflammatory herbs and spices into your routine, so consider a slice of fresh ginger or a cinnamon stick in the pot.
What should you eat before bed?
A light, balanced snack that pairs a little protein with some slow-burning carbohydrate can help keep you satisfied through the night, without sitting heavily in your stomach.
A few easy combinations that tick both boxes are:
- Greek yoghurt with berries
- Banana with peanut butter
- Wholegrain crackers with cottage cheese
- A small bowl of oats
- Kiwi with yogurt
If you’re feeling tired, stressed, and burnt out but still struggling to sleep, there are a few things worth easing off in the hours before bed, as they can make it harder to settle:
- Large meals – which keep your body busy digesting when it’d rather rest.
- Excess alcohol – which might help you nod off but tends to fragment sleep later in the night.
- Very spicy foods – which can cause discomfort for some people close to bedtime.
Why sleep and nutrition both matter for recovery
Of all the types of rest, sleep does the most for your recovery. During an F45 workout, your muscle fibers develop tiny tears and your energy stores run down – that’s the stimulus that makes you fitter, and how you build and maintain muscle mass.
But the rebuilding happens afterwards. As you sleep, your body releases growth hormones, repairs those fibers, and refuels – it just needs the raw materials to do it. That’s where the food comes in: the protein, carbs, and nutrients straight from your plate.
As F45 trainer and athlete Morgan Mitchell explains, “Showing up consistently is something to be proud of – but don’t let it stop at the workout. Be just as consistent with your sleep and nutrition, because that’s when your body does the work you set up in training. Look after both, and you’ll feel the difference.”
How F45 supports healthy recovery habits
At F45, we look at the whole picture – not just the workout. Nutrition, sleep, and recovery each pull their weight, and it’s the combination that turns effort into results you can feel and keep. That’s why we offer:
- Recovery workouts – lower-intensity, mobility-focused sessions to ease muscle tension and reset between harder training days
- Nutrition and meal support – guidance to help you fuel your training and recovery properly
- Educational resources – articles and expert advice so you understand the why behind your habits
- Community and coaching – group classes with trainers and members who keep you consistent
Want to lock those habits into your routine? The F45 Challenge is a guided 45-day program built to do exactly that. As Morgan Mitchell continues, “You get the team workouts, daily meal plans that actually match your goals, and progress tracking in the app so you can see it working –. That’s what turns a good six weeks into long-term habits.”
Locate your closest F45 studio and find out when the next F45 Challenge kicks off near you!
Now that you know how sleep and nutrition can work to your advantage, explore the role of recovery and learn how to recognize what your body is trying to tell you.
1 https://sinu.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1_eng.pdf
2 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8511346/
3 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41110-024-00297-0
4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22038497/
