Eating for Better Sleep & Foods that Improve Metabolic Health | Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge

About this video

Huberman interviews Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge of Columbia University, whose laboratory studies the two-way relationship between sleep and food. Dr. St-Onge describes findings that what people eat during the day is associated with how they sleep that night, and that even modest, chronic sleep loss changes hunger and food choices. She explains that sleep loss appears to affect appetite regulation differently in men and women. The conversation also covers sleep and blood sugar, cortisol, metabolism and cardiometabolic health, plus practical discussion of sleep apnea testing and treatment. Dr. St-Onge presents small changes in eating and sleeping as mutually reinforcing, arguing that improving one side of the relationship tends to improve the other.

Key takeaways

• Dr. St-Onge reports that higher fiber intake was associated with more deep sleep, while higher saturated fat intake was associated with less deep sleep.
• Dr. St-Onge reports that more refined carbohydrates and simple sugars were associated with more arousals during sleep.
• Dr. St-Onge explains that sleep deprivation increases hunger through different hormonal patterns in men and women.
• Dr. St-Onge recommends that people who suspect sleep apnea talk to their doctor and get tested, noting in-home testing is available.
• Huberman frames the episode around the bidirectional link Dr. St-Onge studies between sleep, nutrition and metabolic health.

Episode details: published June 8, 2026 · 129.7K views · 1:57:05 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The science and protocols described are Andrew Huberman’s, presented for education — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing your own health practices.

← Previous: Essentials: Psychedelics & Neurostimulation for Brain Rewiring | Dr. Nolan Williams · Next: Essentials: Sleep Toolkit for Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing →

All Andrew Huberman videos · Andrew Huberman profile · Huberman Lab (official site)