Researchers claim that sleep has an unexpected impact on what you eat and drink.
Previous research has suggested that consuming alcohol or overeating close to bedtime might disrupt your sleep. However, a new study suggests that the relationship works both ways: good sleep can help you drink less and make better food choices overall.
In a study published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine, researchers examined the eating habits of 252 overweight persons who reported psychological distress, including diet quality and alcohol consumption.
During sleep, the researchers looked at their heart rate variability. This gives an idea of how well the autonomic nervous system—the part of the brain that controls the "fight or flight" stress response—worked as they slept.
They discovered that there was a strong link between excellent sleep and good living practices. Over the course of the study, the better people slept, the less stress they displayed in their neurological systems, and the better their diet quality got. Participants ate for emotional rather than bodily reasons when their sleep quality was poor, and they also drank more alcohol.
Researchers couldn't say if better sleep recovery led to a healthier diet or if a good diet supports better sleep because of the bi-directional nature of the link.
Alexander Scott, PhD, a health psychology researcher at Keele University in the United Kingdom, focuses on sleep's function in mental health. It's most likely both because they build each other and can affect your sense of resilience as well as your sense of calm.
Those who improved their sleep and diet throughout the trial, for example, reported lower stress levels and less emotional distress overall. In other words, their psychological health was improved as a result of their physiological healing.
"Sleep and mental health are inextricably linked," he explains. "Based on recent research, prioritizing great sleep can have a significant impact on other aspects of your life, including your mental well-being."
He adds that developing positive habits that build on each other can help with this. That involves not only practising good sleep hygiene (going to bed at the same time every night, turning off screens an hour before bed, and doing some deep breathing exercises to prepare) but also being conscious of how sleep and diet may be more connected than you believe.