A new study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden has found that an unhealthy diet can negatively impact the restorative properties of deep sleep. While previous studies have shown a correlation between diet and sleep patterns, this is the first to explore the causal relationship between the two. The study involved 15 healthy, normal-weight young men who were monitored in a sleep lab while consuming both a healthy and an unhealthy diet. Both diets contained the same number of calories, but the unhealthy diet had a higher proportion of sugar and saturated fats, as well as more processed foods. The researchers found that the participants’ sleep duration and phases were not affected by the different diets, but the restorative properties of deep sleep were reduced by the unhealthy diet.
According to Jonathan Cedernaes, one of the researchers involved in the study, both poor diet and poor sleep can increase the risk of various public health problems. As such, the researchers wanted to investigate whether the health effects of different diets could include changes to sleep. The study is unique in that it is an intervention study, meaning that it was designed to isolate the mechanistic effect of different diets on sleep. The researchers found that the participants’ sleep duration and phases were not affected by the different diets, but the restorative properties of deep sleep were reduced by the unhealthy diet.
The study’s findings suggest that an unhealthy diet can reduce the restorative properties of deep sleep, which is similar to the effects of aging and conditions such as insomnia. However, it is unclear how long-lasting these effects may be. The study did not investigate whether a less restorative deep sleep could affect functions regulated by deep sleep. The study highlights the importance of a healthy diet for overall health, including sleep quality.
