Sleep...Glorious Sleep

Sleep, Diet Linked

People who eat a large variety of foods tend to have the healthiest sleep patterns, according to new research.  "Those who report between 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night are most likely to experience better overall health and well being." said Michael A. Grandner, PhD, of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania.  "So we simply asked the question, 'Are there differences tin the diet of those who report shorter sleep, longer sleep, or standard sleep patterns?'"

Using data from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the researchers broke sleep patterns into very short (less than 5 hours per night) short (5 to 6 hours), standard (7 to 8) and long (9 or more hours).  They also examined participants' daily dietary intakes.  They found that short sleepers consumed the most calories and long sleepers the least.  Short and long sleep were also linked with lower food variety, while standard sleepers ate the biggest variety.  Such variety is an indicator of an overall healthy diet.

"What we still don't know is if people altered their diets, would they be able to change their overall sleep pattern?" Dr. Grandner said.  "This will be an important area to explore going forward, as we know that short sleep duration is associated with weight gain and obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease."

SOURCE: "Eat to Dream: Penn Study Shows Dietary Nutrients Associated with Certain Sleep Patterns," University of Pennsylvania 2/6/13