Insomnia, or sleeplessness, is spreading across the world with young and old, both losing sleep and a major part of their health. However, scientists have now discovered some tweaks in your daily diet can help bring meaningful change when it comes to insomnia – with results apparent within a day.

While getting uninterrupted and regular sleep throughout the day is crucial for your heart and brain health, it is important you get to snooze for at least 8-9 hours daily.

A new study, published in the journal Sleep Health, has discovered shifting from a lifestyle of eating no fruits at all to one including five cups daily could be the key to healthy physical and mental health. According to the scientists, these findings are the first to draw a time-based connection between what you eat during the day and how it affects your sleep quality at night. "It is remarkable that such a meaningful change could be observed within less than 24 hours," said Dr Esra Tasali, sleep expert and co-author of the study.

“Dietary modifications could be a new, natural, and cost-effective approach to achieve better sleep," Dr Tasali added.

According to the scientists, the study involved healthy young adults who reported their daily food consumption through an app. They were made to wear a wrist monitor, which measured their sleep patterns. Thereafter, researchers focused on "sleep fragmentation" – a measure of how often a person wakes or shifts from deep to light sleep at night.

Results showed that their daily diet was linked to "meaningful differences" in the night's sleep as participants consumed more fruits and vegetables during the day, thereby helping them enjoy regulated sleep at night. Also, those who ate healthier carbs like whole grains displayed better sleep. However, those participants who ate around five cups of fruits and vegetables daily experienced a 16 per cent boost in sleep quality. “16 per cent is a highly significant difference,” Dr Tasali said.

According to experts, regularly consuming a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, fruit, and vegetables helps better long-term sleep health. “Small changes can impact sleep. That is empowering – better rest is within your control,” said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, another author of the study.

These foods, along with nuts and grains – which are packed with vitamins and magnesium – improve sleep quality if you have insomnia. In addition, they are a great source of the hormone melatonin, which regulates your internal clock and signals your body to prepare for sleep.

Insomnia happens when you are not able to sleep as you should – which means you are having trouble falling or staying asleep. For many people, insomnia is a minor inconvenience, but for others, it can be a major disruption.

While it is not known why insomnia happens, doctors believe this condition can involve many factors, a few of which include:

Sleep traits and conditions, including insomnia, seem to run in families.

Those with insomnia may have more active brains or brain chemistry differences that affect their ability to sleep.

Your physical health can affect your ability to sleep. This includes temporary illnesses like minor infections or injuries or chronic conditions like acid reflux or Parkinson’s disease.

About half the people with chronic insomnia also have at least one other mental health condition, like anxiety or depression.

Stressful or difficult life circumstances may not necessarily cause insomnia, but it’s very common for them to contribute to it.

Your sleep habits can contribute to insomnia, which includes whether or not you take naps, when you go to sleep, if and when you consume caffeine, and other habits.

Insomnia is also more likely to happen in people with the following characteristics or circumstances: