Eat Well, Sleep Better
Written by Lori Bumbaco, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN, Oncology Dietitian
Getting enough sleep is needed for both physical and mental health. Despite the benefits of adequate rest, as many as half of people with cancer have problems sleeping. Insomnia and an abnormal sleep-wake cycle are the most common disorders affecting people with cancer. Physical changes from cancer, side effects of treatment, certain medications, and emotional stress all contribute to sleep disorders.
An assessment of sleep disorders is recommended in order to find the cause of sleep problems. Your health care team can evaluate you and provide recommendations for possible treatment of sleep disorders. It may also be helpful to review your diet and exercise habits to improve sleep. Staying active during the day, relaxing before bedtime, setting a routine for sleep and waking, while limiting naps, are all important habits to consider.
Accumulating evidence shows that an overall diet pattern can affect sleep quality and contribute to insomnia. The Standard American Diet, or the “S.A.D.” diet, tends to be low in fiber, high in saturated fat, and high in added sugars. This way of habitual eating has been linked with sleep that isn’t restorative. On the other hand, a healthy diet pattern that emphasizes whole plant foods and healthy fats such as olive oil and fish oils has been linked with better sleep quality and fewer insomnia symptoms. The Mediterranean Diet and eating mostly anti-inflammatory foods are examples of a healthy diet pattern.
Research suggests that there are individual foods and nutrients that contribute to the diet pattern associated with quality sleep. This includes fatty fish, berries, dairy, fiber, omega 3 fats, magnesium, melatonin, and tryptophan. Melatonin in fatty fish, dairy, kiwi, tart cherries, and other berries contributes to inducing sleep. Magnesium is a mineral that many Americans do not consume enough of and is found in food like spinach, almonds, avocado, and whole grains. Magnesium is responsible for regulating melatonin and for relaxing the nervous system and our muscles.
Some food and beverages have been linked with low-quality sleep. Saturated fat is found in highly processed foods, full fat dairy and meat, and has been linked to interrupting the phase of our sleep that is the most restorative. Alcohol disrupts sleep quality by shortening the amount of REM sleep we have. Caffeine consumed six hours before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep because it blocks adenosine, which promotes sleepiness.
The problem we understand about individual foods is that it is difficult to disentangle the relationship between the two. In other words, does having quality sleep lead to improved diet habits, or does eating a healthy diet lead to improved sleep quality? Most researchers believe that the relationship between eating and sleep is cyclical. That means that a healthy diet leads to improved sleep, which in turn reinforces healthy eating.
Besides specific foods and diet patterns, another important concept thought to contribute to sleep quality is the timing of eating. Chrononutrition is a term used in the sleep research field that explains the relationship between the timing and consistency of meals influence on sleep. Experts suggest that eating according to a set schedule and earlier in the day benefits our sleep. On the other hand, random snacking and late-night eating have been linked to fragmented sleep.
There might not be any known magic food or drink that promises a better night’s sleep, but an overall approach to eating will benefit you in more ways than one! We already know that consuming mostly whole plant foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds supplies fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals to help us fight cancer. But we can also benefit from eating them to promote restful sleep.
