A study was recently conducted by Uppsala University to examine the impact of junk food on sleep. The study involved healthy volunteers who consumed both an unhealthy and a healthier diet in random order.
Researchers found that the quality of deep sleep decreased after consuming an unhealthy diet compared to the healthier one.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Obesity.
Previous epidemiological studies have shown a connection between poor sleep and diets high in sugar.
However, this study aimed to investigate the direct impact of nutrition on sleep.
By having the same individual consume different diets in a random order, the researchers aimed to isolate the mechanistic effect of diets on sleep.
The study involved 15 healthy young men who were screened for normal sleep habits.
Each participant underwent several days of monitoring in a sleep laboratory during two sessions. In each session, they followed either the healthier or the unhealthier diet, which contained the same number of calories adjusted to their daily requirements.
The unhealthier diet had higher sugar and saturated fat content, as well as more processed food items.
The participants’ sleep, activity, and meal schedules were closely monitored during each diet.
After each diet, the participants were examined in the sleep laboratory. Their sleep was measured and analyzed, focusing on deep sleep and slow-wave activity, which reflects the restorative nature of deep sleep.
The researchers observed that deep sleep exhibited less slow-wave activity after consuming the junk food diet compared to the healthier diet.
It was observed that this effect persisted after switching to the identical diet, indicating that the unhealthy diet resulted in shallower deep sleep.
Similar changes in sleep patterns are observed in conditions like insomnia and with ageing.
The researchers noted that they are unsure of the long-lasting effects of the unhealthy diet on sleep or whether it may affect functions regulated by deep sleep, such as memory.
They also mentioned the need to understand which substances in the unhealthy diet may contribute to the observed effects on sleep.
Additionally, they suggested conducting functional tests and investigating the potential role of specific molecular factors.
The researchers acknowledged that the dietary intervention was relatively short, and more pronounced effects on sleep might be observed with an even unhealthier diet.
The study provides valuable insights into the relationship between junk food and deep sleep, highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy diet for optimal sleep quality.
(ANI)
