The fact that the lack of sleep increases the need for calories is considered as a certainty by the scientific community. But that what has not been extensively investigated is the “if” and “how” the eating habits affecting the quality of sleep. So a team of USA scientists examined whether sleep differs depending on the daily diet and its fat content in order to study this issue on behalf of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
The study involved 26 adults, 30-45 years old, with normal weight who used to sleep 7-9 hours a night. The researchers asked these people to follow a very specific diet plan for 4 days, while on the 5th they were “free” to consume whatever they wanted.
The results showed that when the diet during the day was rich in fats and sugar and at the same time low in fiber, the quality of sleep was worse (frequent disorders, less time in the phase of “deep” sleep).
The importance of this research is great because it indicates that diet can affect the quality of sleep, and this is something that can be very useful not only for everyday life but also for these days before an important race.
Although we couldn’t say for sure which are the foods that cause the best sleep conditions, we would advise you to be aware of the data of the research. In addition you have to try also to identify your eating habits that favor a good sleep and choose them, especially when the date of a important race is getting closer!
