Effects of eating walnuts on sleep quality

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study investigates whether consuming walnuts can improve sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults who report poor sleep. Participants will engage in a randomized crossover design, where they will consume walnuts for four days followed by a high-carbohydrate, high-sugar food for another four days, with a washout period in between. Sleep quality will be assessed through questionnaires, wrist monitors, and sleep studies using electroencephalography (EEG). The study aims to determine the impact of walnut consumption on melatonin levels and overall sleep quality compared to the control food.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Equal numbers of men and women (12 male and 12 post-menopausal female)
* Equal number of individuals with normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2) and overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2)
* Participants will self-report poor sleep quality, reflected by a global score \>5 on Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosed sleep disorder
* Participants with conditions that could affect sleep will be excluded:

  * smoking, excessive caffeine intake (\>300 mg/day)
  * shift work
  * chronic pain
  * diagnosis of a chronic disease (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease),
  * autoimmune diseases
  * cardiovascular event or cancer in the past 24 months
  * psychiatric/neurologic disease or disorder, or sleep disorder (diagnosed or high risk for sleep apnea, chronic insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy)
  * use of medications that influence CYP1A2 enzymes
* Allergy/intolerance to nuts, tree nuts, or unwilling to eat study foods

Where it's running

• Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  New York, New York, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD — Associate Professor of Nutritional Medicine
• Study coordinator: Joseariel Romero
• Email: jr4119@cumc.columbia.edu
• Phone: 347-963-8845

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.