Do you find yourself counting sheep all night, trying to get lost in slumber? Not only does sleep deprivation lead to feeling a bit crummy the next day, but it also impacts health. A bad night of sleep is not uncommon, but researchers have revealed that one’s diet might play a crucial role in your sleeping pattern.
A Study on Sleep and Diet
A study involving a group of 26 people (13 men and 13 women) who were of normal weight and an average age of 35 was conducted by researchers from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM) to prove if our day-to-day diet affects our sleep cycle.
For the duration of five nights in a sleep lab, the participants spent nine hours in bed from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., sleeping for 7 hours and 35 minutes per night (on average). During the first four days, participants had to consume a controlled diet, and on day 5, food intake was the participants’ own selection.
Results showed that people who had greater fiber intake led to more time spent in the stage of deep slow wave sleep. On the other hand, a higher percentage of energy from saturated fat led to less slow wave sleep. On average, the participants took half an hour to fall asleep after consuming foods and beverages of their choice, but only 17 minutes after eating controlled meals of higher fiber and lower saturated fat.
Low-Fiber, High-Sugar and High-Fat
Fiber is one of the most neglected food groups in the fight to lose and maintain the right weight. In order to have smooth intestinal and digestive functions, fiber is essential. It also helps in maintaining the overall well-being of one’s body.
A diet that is low in fiber and high in sugar and saturated fat is associated with lighter and less restorative sleep with more awakenings. They found that the quality of sleep appears to be affected by what people eat – with saturated fat and fiber as particularly important factors.
A fiber-rich diet tends to lower the amount of toxins in one’s body. This could also be one of the many reasons why a high-fiber diet can help improve bad sleeping patterns.
Bottom Line
According to one of the researchers involved in the study, high-carbohydrate intake delays circadian rhythms and it also reduces secretion of melatonin – this could delay the onset of sleep. For example, hormones that may be elevated such as cortisol can increase a desire for food which activates the digestive processes and thereby interferes with restful sleep.
The researchers acknowledge that further studies should be done in order to confirm their results, but if diet is found to play a major role in the quality of sleep, then diet-based recommendations might be warranted for those who have sleeping disorders.
