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Food/Fuel for Sleep?
Does the body need fuel during sleep? A gentleman reached out to me with the following:
my goal is to help people understand the role of nutrition in sleep. There is very little research in that field. All we have are contradicting myths and old wives tales, leaving most people confused at best.
I was in the process of searching for some doctors to speak to regarding this topic, when I found SleepGuide.com. we know there are relationships between food and sleep, between hunger and alertness, and we know the body needs fuel during sleep, but it seems to be a huge blind-spot in terms of actual research.
I've reached out to the docs who've published studies like this http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16979424 and thishttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16979423
The first thing that occurs to me about the notion of needing fuel during sleep is that it collides with the common sleep hygiene rule of not eating 3 hours before sleep on account of its effect on acid reflux, which in turn can exacerbate/ create obstruction of the airway.
Views: 501
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steven Y. Park, MD on
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Unlike cars, humans have other areas that we draw from once the tank (stomach) is empty. This includes the liver and fat from various parts of the body. Centuries ago when we were eating off the land and our jaws were much bigger and we didn't have as much sleep-breathing problems, it was probably safer to eat close to bedtime. Now that modern humans have smaller jaws and more dental crowding issues, the closer you eat to bedtime, the more likely you'll suction up your stomach juices into your throat. This is why human infants can drink all the time, since the voice box is behind the tongue, rather than underneath the tongue. Hormonally and neurologically, not getting efficient sleep for whatever reason causes hunger and promotes weight gain.
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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the gentleman I'm communicating with responded -- i'm not advocating his viewpoint. just thought it was relevant and should be included here:
Let's assume Dr. Park is 100% right. we all know for a fact that SOME people do get acid reflux, and then SOME of those people might get airway obstruction as a result (I hadn't ever thought of that)....even if each group is some massive % of the total, you've now got the whole mass of people following a guideline based on what might happen to some people. And, for that other group, likely the majority (likely the large majority), they may be doing themselves greater harm by not fueling.
I don't expect there to be a perfect answer for everybody...there pretty much never is. But, for people to follow rules based on partial information or what's right for the minority of people who are prone to a certain problem, then you've got confusion and misinformation.
Many experts recommend a small snack before bed, other experts advise not eating within 3 hours of sleep, other experts say you need a snack high in protein, others say you need to avoid high protein and focus on carbs....and so on and so on.
If Dr. Park deals primarily with obstructive sleep apnea, then he's likely to look at the food issue through the lens of how it will impact sleep apnea. Somebody else who's an endocrinologist might look at the food issue through the fuel that's available for the body to circulate the hormones necessary for repair. A neurologist might look at fuel needed for the brain to go through it's nightly cycle of sorting memories, newly learned information, and preparing the brain for the next day.
it seems everybody is focused on one piece of the puzzle....I've even seen experts recommend a snack like apple pie with ice cream. while that might help you fall asleep (as would a box of wine), I don't think it lends itself to an optimally productive and restful night of sleep.
lots of questions...more answers needed :-)
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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I am a sleep tech. My one goal is to help fix troubled sleep. The knowledge and the science leads me to believe that eating right before bed will interrupt your sleep and cause excess fat. Let alone GERD. Your own abstracts say the same. The body's metabolism just slows down to much during sleep to be able to digest and properly use the excess fuel.
I believe it all boils down to knowing and listening to your body. If you can eat before bed and not gain weight, experience GERD, or any other side effects then you are most likely ok. It is also important to know that bad sleep will cause hormone imbalances that will make you crave food all of the time.
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Permalink Reply by Chris H on
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Food seeking behavior .......Stimulation of the suprachiasmatic neucleus and pineal glands , What was the level of stimulation before electric lights .....people didnt have conveniences we do now. Would our circadian rythms be better in tune if we lowered the color temperature of light exposure as the hours of the day wind down? Would we crave less junk ? Was their ever a primal state of being ? Or have we just noticed things are out of balance? Good Sleep,Chris
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A lot of good sense in your response Rock. I agree with you.
Rock said:I am a sleep tech. My one goal is to help fix troubled sleep. The knowledge and the science leads me to believe that eating right before bed will interrupt your sleep and cause excess fat. Let alone GERD. Your own abstracts say the same. The body's metabolism just slows down to much during sleep to be able to digest and properly use the excess fuel.
I believe it all boils down to knowing and listening to your body. If you can eat before bed and not gain weight, experience GERD, or any other side effects then you are most likely ok. It is also important to know that bad sleep will cause hormone imbalances that will make you crave food all of the time.
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how much does the body's metabolism slow down during sleep, Rock?
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I think it really depends on the individual sleeper. Certain things like the digestive system slow to almost a complete stop in most people. Other systems become more active such as the brain, and endocrine systems. Your body will spend the energy needed at all times. A large part of the push for the metabolism is movement, breathing, and spending stored energy. All 3 of these things are limited while we sleep.
poor_sleeper said:how much does the body's metabolism slow down during sleep, Rock?
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