Ever thought about how your sleep is affecting your food choices, and how your food choices affects your sleep?
A 4-week Taiwan study (1) revealed that people which ate two kiwis around one hour before bed, fell asleep 14 minutes faster and slept 40 minutes longer, than people who did not eat any kiwis.
What could explain the sleep benefits of this fruit? Dr. St-Onge says kiwi contains melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the body that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycles.
A study (2) found links between a Mediterranean-style diet and improved sleep.
Does Poor Sleep Change Your Eating Habits?
Several studies have linked poor sleep with increased cravings for junk foods. A study (3) found that cutting women’s sleep time by 33 percent increased their hunger, food cravings, and portion sizes while eating the next day.
Other studies have linked a lack of sleep to higher intakes of fat and carbohydrates (4, 5) and that it’s possible some hunger-related hormones rise or fall as a result of poor sleep, which could help explain these effects.