Researchers at the American Heart Association recently investigated the effects of poor sleep quality on the human body. Every person sleeps, as it is essential for survival. What most people don’t understand is that sleep and good sleep are two very different notions. Researchers in this study aimed to provide the public with information on how poor sleep can impact the body. It is the hope that this knowledge will encourage people to revise the sleeping habits to ensure a better night’s rest.

Researchers decided to focus their study on non-pregnant women for the sake of specificity and accuracy. Participants between the age of 20 and 79 years old were recruited. The sleeping habits of each participant were assessed using validated, self-reporting method. Any individual reading this with a background in psychology or statistics may be weary of the idea of a self-reporting method. These methods are notorious for creating bias and therefore skewing the validity of the results. Never fear! These self-reporting methods have been proven to provide valid results. The first method assesses sleep patterns over a period of one month. The second method measures the severity of insomnia (inability to sleep). Both methods consist of questionnaires, that require participants to rate or acknowledge their specific sleeping habits. A higher score on each questionnaire is indicative of having poor sleep quality.

Food on a Table

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Researchers attained data on the diets of each of the participants, in addition to data on their sleeping habits. You may be asking yourself, “Why is a diet relevant?”. Well, I am glad you asked. Diets and sleep may be associated. They both are necessary for survival and fuel every bodily process. The only way to discover if they are associated is to compare the data. Researchers chose a method known as the Food Frequency Questionnaire. This method is brief and allows individuals to self-report their dietary habits.

Now is the moment you have been waiting for… the results. Researchers did find correlations between sleep quality, diet, and energy intake. The first correlation discovered was that individuals with a poorer sleep quality consumed a greater weight of food. The second correlation discovered was that individuals with a poorer sleep quality consumed more foods with added sugars and caffeine. The third correlation discovered was that individuals with greater insomnia severity had a higher caloric intake and a lower fat intake. These discovered correlations may not be all that surprising to you when you look at the big picture. Many of us have had experiences with eating excessive sugars or consuming caffeine right before bed. Most of us find that we have difficulty sleeping when we do this. You may have always questioned if certain habits were associated with each other and now you have some answers.

Why does this matter? That answer is simple. This research has provided valuable information that can be used by you, me, physicians, nutritionists, or anyone. Understanding how our diets, energy intake, and sleep habits impact one another is extremely helpful. We are able to make adjustments to our habits to ensure a better quality of sleep. After all, we know how some people get when they don’t get a good night’s sleep.

Zuraikat, F.M., Makarem, N., Liao, M., St-Onge, M., & Aggarwal, B. 2020. Measures of Poor Sleep Quality Are Associated with Higher Energy Intake and Poor Diet Quality in a Diverse Sample of Women from the Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Network. Journal of the American Heart Association: 1-10.