5-step sleep reset could promote healthy weight loss, nutritionist says

One weekly routine could help foster better sleep and promote healthy weight loss, according to a New Jersey-based registered dietitian.

Erin Palinski-Wade, who is also a certified diabetes care specialist and author of "The Sleepdemic Solution," shared her "seven-day reset" in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The reset combines sleep, nutrition and lifestyle strategies into a five-part system represented by the acronym SLEEP.

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In a test panel conducted in connection with her seven-day program, Palinski-Wade said participants reported improvements in sleep, blood sugar and weight.

Experts recommend consulting a for individualized guidance before making significant changes to diet, sleep or lifestyle habits, particularly for those with underlying health conditions.

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Palinski-Wade emphasized that results varied among participants with different sleep challenges. The panel included shift workers, mothers and people with .

Despite those differences, within the first two to three days, the expert said people "across the board" reported falling asleep faster, getting higher-quality sleep and feeling more rested the next day.

Panelists with pre-existing insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes also reported improvements in blood sugar levels, Palinski-Wade said.

"Once they were resting better and those were reduced, and the body was getting the rest it needed, we were seeing better balanced blood sugar throughout the day," she noted.

Participants also reported improvements in hunger and satiety.

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"They weren't having those cravings, especially in the evening, especially those sugar cravings," Palinski-Wade said. "When they were eating, they were feeling more satisfied."

"I had a few test panel members as much as seven pounds in the first seven days," she said, noting that some of the loss was water weight.

Participants reported reductions in weight and waist circumference and improvements in blood sugar, sleep and next-day energy.

Below, Palinski-Wade breaks down the five components of the SLEEP system.

Setting a rhythm involves timing meals consistently to help improve sleep. This means avoiding skipped meals, which can lead to blood sugar fluctuations throughout the day, Palinski-Wade said.

"We want to be fueling our body all throughout the day so that our body is expecting to sleep in the evening," she said.

Skipping meals and consuming excess food and calories in the evening tells the body that it's time to burn energy, which is not going to be conduci