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Introduction
The relationship between our diet and sleep is bi-directional; i.e. sleep impacts diet and diet impacts sleep. Therefore, we can examine the impact of sleep timing, duration and other dimensions on our dietary intake. And then also examine the impat of both overall diet and specific nutrients on improving/worsening sleep.
The is clear evidence of distinct, acute effects of restricted sleep time on food preferences, eating behaviour, energy intake, and our underlying metabolic physiology.
When it comes to the ability of certain foods or nutrients to improve sleep, often many claims are based on weak evidence or mechanistic reasoning. But there is evidence showing some impacts of certain compounds to either positively or negatively impact sleep.
So what is the accurate way to look at this bi-directional relationship? In this episode, Greg Potter, PhD discusses the evidence to date. Dr. Potter received his PhD from the University of Leeds, where his research focused on circadian rhythms, sleep, nutrition, and metabolism.
Related resources
- Sigma Statement: How Sleep & Nutrition Interact
- Website: gregpotterphd.com
- Instagram: @gregpotterphd
- Glossary of Standardized Terminology for Sleep/Biological Rhythm Research
- The STOP-Bang Questionnaire for Sleep Apnea
- 80000hours.org – Your Job Can Make a Difference
- [03:15]Sleep architecture and dimensions of sleep
- [10:29]Influence of sleep on diet
- [35:11]Chronotypes
- [53:26]Impact of diet/meals on sleep
- [59:50]Supplements like melatonin and tryptophan
- [1:20:27]Rescuing a poor night’s sleep – caffeine and nootropics
- [1:40:31]Key Ideas segment (Premium only)
Guest Information
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Greg Potter, PhD completing his doctoral work at the University of Leeds, where his research focused on circadian rhythms, sleep, nutrition, and metabolism. He has consulted with a variety of athletes, organizations and member of the general population on how to improve their health and performance. He is the co-founder of Resilient Nutrition and has in the past created content for HumanOS.
Danny Lennon has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, and he is the founder of Sigma Nutrition.
Danny is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardisation of best practice in the sports nutrition profession.
Key Ideas
Danny’s Key Ideas from this episode are:
- “Good sleep is not one thing” – Looking at many dimensions of sleep
- Diet/nutrient recommendations to improve sleep are very context specific
#1: “Good sleep is not one thing”
Sometime we can think in binary terms about sleep. Our sleep is good or it’s bad. Or even when we do actually distinguish between sleep duration and sleep quality, sometimes we don’t acknowledge that they influence one another. And quality may be an emergent property of enough duration, or appropriate sleep time may be a result of quality being good.
