In a new study, a team of researchers from Pharmavite LLC and Nutrition Impact LLC found that people who got fewer than seven hours of sleep per night on average consumed lower amounts of vitamins A, D, and B1, as well as magnesium, niacin, calcium, zinc and phosphorus. The scientists also found a greater number of nutrients were associated with poor sleep in women than in men. This number was reduced if women took dietary supplements, suggesting that supplements can help fill the gaps where a person’s diet is not providing the necessary nutrients.
Ikonte et al demonstrated the importance of micro- and macronutrient intake on numerous sleep variables. Image credit: Sweet Briar College.
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that our bodies require but do not produce. As a result, they must come from our diet. Globally, billions of people suffer from at least one micronutrient deficiency.
Previous studies have demonstrated important roles for micronutrients in growth and development, disease prevention and healing, and normal bodily functions, including sleep.
Magnesium, for example, helps the body produce melatonin and other compounds involved in sleep. Some studies suggest zinc plays a role in sleep regulation.
“Our work adds to the body of growing evidence associating specific nutrient intakes with sleep outcomes,” said Dr. Chioma Ikonte, director of nutrition science at Pharmavite LLC.
Dr. Ikonte and colleagues analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES, 2005-2016) to assess the relationship of nutrient intake with sleep variables.
Seven sleep variables included in the analysis were short sleep hours (less than 7 hours of sleep) and trouble sleeping, sleep disorder and poor sleep quality, insomnia, sleep latency, and use of sleeping pills over 5 times in the last month.
In adults (19+ years), 32.7% experienced short sleep, 47.3% poor sleep quality, 8.94% a sleep disorder, 37.9% sleep latency, 9.3% used sleeping pills, 15.1% exhibited insomnia, and 27.7% experienced sleep trouble.
Within this population, short sleep was significantly associated with the greatest number of nutrients, showing an inverse association with magnesium, niacin, vitamin D, calcium, and dietary fiber intake.
Across all seven sleep variables, however, magnesium, niacin and vitamin D demonstrated significant inverse association within this population.
Inverse associations were also found for dietary fiber intake and short sleep and sleep disorder, phosphorus intake and poor sleep quality, sleep latency and sleep pill use, and vitamin K intake and poor sleep quality, sleep disorder, sleep latency and sleep pill use in the gender combined adults.
Within this population however, there were direct associations for the intakes of protein and vitamin B6 and short sleep, sleep disorder and sleep trouble, for the intakes of sodium and vitamin A and poor sleep quality, sleep latency and sleep pill use, for the intake of vitamin B12 and poor ADL (activities of daily living) and insomnia; and for the intake of zinc and sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep pill use, poor ADL and insomnia.
Among female adults, dietary fiber was the only nutrient that showed an inverse association with all seven sleep variables.
“Our findings suggest that individuals with short sleep duration might benefit from improving their intake of these nutrients through diet and supplementation,” Dr. Ikonte said.
“Whether chronic short sleep causes nutrient insufficiency or the nutrient insufficiency causes short sleep still needs to be determined.”
“A clinical study that investigates impacts of supplementation with these nutrients on sleep outcomes is needed to demonstrate cause and effect.”
The researchers presented their findings June 9 at Nutrition 2019, the American Society for Nutrition annual meeting, in Baltimore.
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Chioma Ikonte et al. Analysis of NHANES 2005-2016 Data Showed Significant Association Between Micro and Macronutrient Intake and Various Sleep Variables. Nutrition 2019, abstract # P06-103-19
