Eating kiwis before bed may aid sleep, but experts say evidence is limited

Limited research suggests that eating two kiwis about an hour before bedtime may improve certain measures of sleep, including how quickly people fall asleep, how long they sleep and overall sleep quality. Tara Schmidt, lead dietitian with the Mayo Clinic Diet, said studies have pointed to a possible link between kiwis and better sleep, with pre-bed consumption associated with improvements in sleep onset, duration and efficiency. Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, noted that the serotonin in kiwis is connected to sleep cycle regulation and plays a role in processes that support the body's melatonin production. Kiwis are also rich in vitamins C and E, fiber, potassium and magnesium, nutrients that contribute to general health. Schmidt cautioned that current findings are not strong enough to position kiwis as a treatment for insomnia, adding that larger and more rigorous studies are needed to clarify the effect.