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Walnut Consumption and Sleep Quality Study

This study is looking at whether eating walnuts can improve sleep quality. Researchers want to see if walnuts, which contain natural melatonin and other helpful nutrients, can lead to better sleep compared to eating a high-carbohydrate, high-sugar (HCHS) food like a Pop-Tart. You might be able to join if you are between 45 and 65 years old, have poor sleep quality (a global score over 5 on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and are either normal weight or overweight. The study will measure melatonin levels in your blood and your sleep quality to see if walnuts make a difference. The study is currently unclear about its recruitment status and plans to enroll 24 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study where participants will try two different foods for 4 days each in a random order. It aims to enroll 24 adults with poor sleep quality.
What's involved
You would eat either walnuts or a high-carbohydrate, high-sugar food with your three main meals for 4 days, then switch to the other food for another 4 days. Your blood melatonin levels will be measured at various times, and your sleep quality will be tracked nightly.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Sleep quality will be measured nightly for 4 nights, and some measurements will extend to the morning of day 5 after each food intervention.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06430086

Mechanistic Effect of Walnut Consumption on Sleep Quality

Recruiting
NAAges 45–65InterventionalTreatment
Columbia University
~24 participants
Updated 2026-07-31 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Walnut consumptionHCHS consumption

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Serum melatonin
Measured over Baseline (9AM; Hour 0), Hour 1, Hour 2, Hour 3, Hour 4, Hour 5, Hour 6, Hour 7, Hour 8, Hour 9, Hour 10, Hour 11, Hour 12, Hour 13, Hour 14, Hour 15 (Midnight)
+2 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Poor Sleep Quality

Explore related trials

Quality of sleep

NCT06430086

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center

    New York, New Yorkstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

  • Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Associate Professor of Nutritional Medicine

Who to contact

Joseariel Romero
[email protected]
347-963-8845
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

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

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

What this trial measures

  • Serum melatoninBaseline (9AM; Hour 0), Hour 1, Hour 2, Hour 3, Hour 4, Hour 5, Hour 6, Hour 7, Hour 8, Hour 9, Hour 10, Hour 11, Hour 12, Hour 13, Hour 14, Hour 15 (Midnight)

    Serum melatonin will be measured via last testing of blood samples collected on day 4, in an inpatient setting. Repeated for each phase.

  • Sleep quality indexNight 1, Night 2, Night 3, Night 4

    Sleep quality will be assessed daily using wrist actigraphy. Variables include sleep fragmentation index and sleep efficiency. Repeated for each phase.

  • Slow wave sleep indexNight 3

    Slow wave sleep will be measured using electroencephalography, in the participant's home. Repeated for each phase.