On a high-protein weight loss diet, you’re likely to retain more muscle mass while losing weight. That’s why it’s the preferred diet of bodybuilders in a cutting phase. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests high-protein dieting might also come with a side benefit of improved sleep quality.

Purdue University researchers put half a group of 44 overweight volunteers on a weight loss diet with a normal protein content of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. The rest were put on a high-protein weight loss diet with 1.5 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Subjects in the high-protein group reported better sleep quality after 3 and 4 months of dieting. Sound sleep supports muscle recovery.