Sleep and food – what’s the connection?

The Sleep Health Foundation has declared October 1-7 2018 Sleep Awareness Week. Finally, an ‘awareness week’ I can get behind!!!!!

The ‘2016 Sleep Health Survey of Australian Adults’, a report prepared by the Sleep Health Foundation, has uncovered some deeply worrying findings on the sleep deprivation epidemic that is tightening its grip on Australians:

• 33-45% of Australian adults either don’t get enough sleep, or don’t get good quality sleep.
• 12% of Australians sleep less than 5½ hours per night, and 76% of these people report frequent daytime impairment or sleep-related symptoms.
• 23% report that their typical weekday routine of work or home duties does not allow them to get enough sleep.
• 26% of adults report using the Internet most or every night of the week just before bed, and also report having frequent sleep difficulties or daytime impairments.
• 16% of all working adults do work just before bed, and also report having frequent sleep difficulties or daytime impairments.
• 17% reported having missed work in the past month because they were sleepy, and 17% admitted that they had fallen asleep while at work, while 29% reported having made errors at work due to sleepiness or sleep problems in the past 3 months.
• 29% of people reported that they had become drowsy whilst driving  at least once every month, while a startling 20% admitted that they had dozed off while driving and 5% have had an accident in the past year because they fell asleep at the wheel.
• Undiagnosed sleep apnoea appears to be worryingly common: among the 19% of people who had not yet been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnoea, but showed signs of it such as frequent loud snoring and/or pauses in their night time breathing witnessed by their bed partner, 63% reported awakening unrefreshed, and 65% reported daytime sleep deprivation-related symptoms.
• Adults reported more sleep difficulties and daytime consequences of sleep deprivation in the 2016 survey than in 2010.

Aside from the short term consequences of sleep deprivation, such as fatigue, irritability, impaired work and academic performance, and increased risk of traffic accidents, consistently short changing yourself on sleep increases your risk of gaining weight and losing your marbles.

There are many factors that impact on your ability to get off to sleep and secure an adequate quality and quantity of sleep each night, and some of them may be out of your control, such as the level of ambient noise; young children (or companion animals!) who wake you during the night; or partner snoring.

However, you do have control over some of the most significant influences on sleep, including what, when and how much you eat and drink throughout the day.

Eat (and drink) your way to a better night’s sleep

Dehydration = sleep frustration

Dehydration from insufficient fluid intake throughout the day not only hinders the onset of sleep by preventing the drop in core temperature that is necessary for us to drop off, but can also cause nocturnal leg cramps and snoring, both of which disrupt sleep. Of course, drinking too much fluid before bed time leads to excessive bathroom trips during the night, so aim to drink most of your water intake in the morning and afternoon.

Cuppa joe = sleep no go

Caffeine intake has long been known to interfere with sleep. According to the authors of a 2008 review, “regular daily dietary caffeine intake is associated with disturbed sleep and associated daytime sleepiness. Further, children and adolescents… similarly experience sleep disturbance and daytime sleepiness associated with their caffeine use. The risks to sleep and alertness of regular caffeine use are greatly underestimated by both the general population and physicians.” Since it can take your body up to 24 hours to eliminate the amount of caffeine found in a single cup of coffee, even your early morning heart-starter will still be messing with your sleep that night.

You booze, you lose

Drinking alcohol at night decreases the time that it takes to get to sleep – hence the idea of having a ‘nightcap’ before bed – but increases sleep disruption and degrades sleep quality in the second half of sleep (the hours before awakening), in particular reducing the REM sleep that is necessary to consolidate learning and prevent cognitive decline and dementia.

Fat chance of getting good sleep

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a major cause of daytime sleepiness. Recently published research points to a link between fat intake and OSA, with overweight subjects who ate more than 35% of their daily energy intake from fat having twice as severe OSA as those who ate less fat. Higher intake of processed meat and eating more than 2 serves of dairy products per day were also associated with more severe OSA.

Carb up in the morning, sleep well at night

A high carbohydrate meal raises core body temperature and heart rate, and reduces melatonin secretion – just what you need in the morning, to help you feel alert and awake, but definitely not what you need at night! Eating a generous, carbohydrate-rich breakfast within an hour of waking up; consuming at least two thirds of your total energy intake between breakfast and lunch; and ensuring that you finish dinner (which should be vegetable-based and relatively low in carbohydrate and protein) at least 3 hours before going to bed will help you get to sleep more easily and minimise sleep disturbances during the night.

Don’t as-salt your sleep

Dietary salt intake causes blood vessel walls to stiffen, reducing the skin warming that needs to take place in order for you to fall asleep. Use herbs and spices instead of salt to make your food tasty, and especially avoid salty meals and snacks at night.

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