Low Fiber, High Fat Diets Associated with Sleep Quality

Eating a diet that is low in fiber but high in saturated fat and sugar is associated with less restorative and more disrupted sleep, according to a recent study.

While previous research has shown that sleep restriction can alter food intake, less in known about how food affects sleep patterns.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Study: Less Sleep Associated with Distracted Eating, Obesity
Could Lack of Sleep Increase Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For their randomized-crossover inpatient study, researchers followed 26 adults who slept 7-9 hours a night. Participants were randomized to sleep for either 4 hours for 5 nights or 9 hours for 5 nights, than switched to the second testing arm. During the first 4 days of both arms, participants were given a controlled diet, and on day 5, the participants selected their own food.

Overall, duration of sleep did not change after 3 days of controlled eating versus participant-selected eating, but sleep after the participants selected their own food did have less slow wave sleep and longer onset latency.

Greater fiber intake was linked to less stage 1 and more slow wave sleep. Saturated fat predicted lower amounts of slow wave sleep and sugar intake and carbohydrates were associated with more disruptions in sleep.

“Low fiber and high saturated fat and sugar intake is associated with lighter, less restorative sleep with more arousals. Diet could be useful in the management of sleep disorders but this needs to be tested,” they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

St-Onge MP, Roberts A, Shechter A, Choudhury AR. Fiber and saturated fat are associated with sleep arousals and slow wave sleep. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016;12(1):19–24.