Sleep, Diet, and Hunger Hormones

Our diets can impact both the quality, and duration, of our sleep. Melatonin, serotonin, and tryptophan are 3 sleep-related buzz words to remember.

MELATONIN - pharmacological doses have been shown to help both children and adults fall asleep, and stay asleep, more successfully. Vitamin B12 and magnesium-rich foods have both been shown to enhance melatonin secretion.

Vitamin B12-rich foods 

• Beef

• Chicken

• Liver

• Seafood

• Eggs

• Yoghurt

• Cheese.

Magnesium-rich foods 

• Seeds

• Nuts

• Spinach

• Whole grains

• Beans

• Legumes.

SEROTONIN - a neurotransmitter best known for inducing feelings of calmness and drowsiness. B group vitamins are essential to synthesise serotonin from tryptophan.

B group vitamin-rich foods 

• Salmon

• Leafy greens

• Organ meats

• Eggs

• Milk

• Oysters

• Mussels

• Legumes.

TRYPTOPHAN - The body needs tryptophan to produce serotonin. Obtaining an optimal amount of tryptophan requires a combination of consuming foods containing tryptophan, and eating ample carbohydrates.

Tryptophan-rich foods 

• Milk

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Tinned tuna

• Oats

• Cheese

• Nuts

• Seeds.

Overall, your best bet to enhance sleep is to consume a balanced and varied diet, rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat protein sources. A diet rich in these types of foods will also be rich in tryptophan, group B vitamins, minerals, and unrefined carbohydrates, all of which may contribute to an improvement in the quality and length of your sleep.

SLEEP AND YOUR HUNGER HORMONES

There is a strong link between the length and quality of sleep you get, and the regulation of hormones that promote hunger and satiety. These hormones are known as ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin is responsible for stimulating your hunger and leptin plays a role in stimulating your satiety cues via the hypothalamus. Well-regulated leptin levels will help you feel satisfied after a meal, and helps to switch off your hunger cues.

Numerous studies have shown that sleep deprivation (< 5 hrs per night), or short sleep duration, increases the levels of ghrelin, and reduces levels of leptin, leading to increased hunger and an inability to recognise when you have had enough to eat. Less sleep also makes you feel more fatigued the next day, making those quick energy fixes, like sugary snacks and energy drinks, even more appealing.

Obviously this is not such an issue if it’s an occasional or temporary spate of sleep deprivation (hello newborn sleeplessness!), but if you consistently get less than about 7 hours of sleep a night, you may find yourself overeating often, and less able to rely on your hunger cues to let you know when you really do need to eat again!

References

Lin, J., Jiang, Y., Wang, G., Meng, M., Zhu, Q., Mei, H., ... Jiang, F. (2020). Associations of short sleep duration with appetite‐regulating hormones and adipokines: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Obesity Reviews. doi:10.1111/obr.13051

Felső R, Lohner S, Hollódy K, Erhardt É, Molnár D. Relationship between sleep duration and childhood obesity: Systematic review including the potential underlying mechanisms. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2017 Sep 1;27(9):751-61.