World-Class Sleep Pioneer Says What You Eat Determines How You Sleep

Sleep issues are a BIG deal—just ask someone who’s been up all night involuntarily.

More than half of all Americans have difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Good sleep is critical for "Keeping the 'Live' in 'Alive'!

 

I had a ‘Random Run In’ with Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, a nutrition scientist and a pioneer in the field of sleep health.

I was on an Amtrak to Boston, and I happened to choose the seat next to her. She was working diligently on her computer. I kept sneaking peaks at the bright fun patterned shirt she was wearing that I finally figured out reminded me of my old Peter Max stationery I loved so much as a kid. She was focused so I was quiet.

At some point during the 3 ½ hour trip I asked what she was working on. (Couldn't help it - I'm a curious stranger talker)

That’s how I found out I was sitting next to a very big brain wrapped in a very small feminine body.

Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge PhD is THE 'go-to' expert on the connection between food and sleep.

 

Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, is a nutrition scientist and a pioneer in the field of sleep health. 

She is the author of Eat Better, Sleep Better: 75 Recipes and A 28-Day Meal Plan That Unlock the Food-Sleep Connection (A Cookbook). She wrote it in a fun recipe collaboration with Kat Craddock Editor-in Chief, CEO and owner of SAVEUR the legacy food magazine. Developed with ingredients that trigger the body’s dietary melatonin and serotonin, these recipes align with a Mediterranean diet and trigger a healthy circadian cycle, so you feel energetic during the day and ready for sleep at night.

Dr. Marie-Pierre is also the founding director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research at Columbia University, and her cutting-edge research combines her unique expertise on sleep, nutrition, and weight management to address overall health related to sleep. 

 

The Big Takeaway for Me From Our Amtrak Conversation Was Learning That Sleep and Food Are Powerfully Connected!

The way you eat affects how you sleep
The way you sleep affects how you eat

It’s a loop… and if it’s broken? You feel it.

 

Dr. Marie-Pierre made it simple:

Better Diet = Better Sleep = Better Life

And not in a “perfect eating” way… in a real-life, doable, smart swaps kind of way.

 

So What Should We Actually Be Eating To Sleep Better?

No gimmicks here. Just smart, science-backed choices:

• Fiber-rich foods (hello whole grains)
• Healthy proteins (fish, salmon, nuts, seeds)
• Foods with tryptophan (the Thanksgiving turkey effect is real-ish )
• Balanced meals—not heavy, late-night overloads

And here’s something people don’t always realize Dr Marie mentioned:

Alcohol may help you fall asleep… but it messes with your sleep later.

And Wait… “Sweets for Sleep”? I’m Listening…

Now THIS caught my attention.

There are actually desserts designed to SUPPORT sleep—like:

• Sesame shortbread cookies
• Chamomile ginger panna cotta

They’re:
Lower in sugar
Thoughtfully balanced
Built with ingredients that help your body relax

So yes… you can have your dessert and your sleep. Just smarter.

 

Timing Matters More Than You Think

One thing I loved learning from Dr. Marie?

This isn’t about a “magic bedtime snack.”

It’s about your entire day of eating.

Because your body needs time to:

• Digest
• Absorb
• Convert nutrients (like tryptophan into sleep-supporting compounds)

This is a lifestyle—not a quick fix. But it matters.

 

And About Those Sleep Trackers…

I had to ask.

Her answer? Refreshingly sane:

 Use them
 Learn from them
 BUT… don’t let them run your life

Because how you feel still matters.

---

 

My Debservation?

We spend so much time chasing energy…
…but we ignore the foundation of it—sleep.

And if food is part of the solution?

That’s empowering.

Because it means we have more control than we think.

 

Now back to Dr. Marie-Pierre

I have no clue when this sleep expert has time to sleep. Lol

She’s a very busy woman!

 

Born and educated in Québec, Canada, Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge lives with her family in New Jersey. When I met her on Amtrak, she was working on a presentation that she was supposed to have made in person in Chicago that day. However, airplane delays landed her instead on the Amtrak to Boston where she would do the presentation virtually and still be in the right place for another yet another presentation in Boston. 

Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD is the recipient of an Outstanding Investigator Award from the NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) at the NIH, and she is a Fulbright Scholar as well as a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. 

She has authored close to 170 peer-reviewed publications and received scientific achievement awards from the American Heart Association and American Society for Clinical Nutrition.

 

Amazing right?

 

But Even Sleep Experts Get Tired.

I noticed after typing for hours in the seat next to me that Dr. Marie-Pierre had started to doze off.  

When she woke up I offered her a sample Alert Pop™.

 

What are the chances?  

I was on Amtrak that day heading to Boston to meet a major distributor for a new product called Alert Pop™! I’m a Founding Partner of the company behind this new 'better for you' sugar free caffeinated functional energy lollipop that was invented by my partner Stephen Caldwell to help prevent drowsy driving. 

 

Did you know 1 in 25 drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel?

I figured Dr. Marie could appreciate the purpose of the product and told her I’d love her opinion. 

She liked it! Perked her right up. I thought maybe we could somehow collaborate.

 

Anyway, we exchanged contacts and honestly, I felt she was way too impressive a ‘random run in’ to keep to myself.  So, I'm sharing her and her knowledge with you all today on my Wellness Wednesday Show.

 

Listen to the Full Interview

If you missed it, here’s my conversation with Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge PhD on The Debbie Nigro Show.

It's packed with insights that could genuinely change how you feel every single day.

 

And it starts with a simple and powerful premise...

What you eat today will determine how you sleep tonight.

 

And 'Good Sleep' is key to “Keeping the Live in Alive! “ 

 

Best!
Debbie