Ultra-processed foods (UPF) may be linked to insomnia, which is experienced by around one-third of adults. An analysis of diet and sleep patterns reported in the Academy of Nutrition Journal, published by Elsevier, shows a statistically significant association between UPF intake and chronic insomnia, independent of socio-demographic, lifestyle, diet quality and mental health characteristics.
“In an era when more and more foods are highly processed and sleep disorders are becoming more prevalent, it is important to evaluate whether diet contributes to poorer or better sleep quality,” explained lead researcher Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, from the Department of General Medicine and the Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Research at Columbia University School of Medic.
Previous studies have looked at nutrients and dietary supplements (e.g., protein, magnesium) in relation to sleep, but this study is novel in that it goes beyond nutrients and specific foods to evaluate dietary patterns and shows that the degree of food processing may have some relevance to sleep health.
Dr. St-Onge added: “Our research team has previously reported associations between healthy eating patterns like the Mediterranean diet and a reduced risk of insomnia and poor sleep quality (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally), and between a high-carbohydrate diet and an increased risk of insomnia. UPF consumption is increasing worldwide and is associated with many health conditions, including diabetes, obesity and cancer.”
This large epidemiological study used NutriNet-Santé data from over 39,000 French adults to investigate the relationship between dietary intake and sleep. This large cohort study was ideally suited to address this question as it included sleep variables and detailed dietary information over multiple days.
Data were collected from adults who completed multiple 24-h food diaries and provided information on insomnia symptoms every 6 months between 2013 and 2015. Definitions of insomnia were based on the criteria provided in DSM-5 and ICSD-3.
Participants reported getting about 16% of their energy from UPF, and about 20% reported chronic insomnia. Those who reported chronic insomnia got a higher percentage of their energy intake from UPF. The association between higher UPF intake and insomnia was evident in both men and women, although the risk was slightly higher in men than in women.
Lead author Pauline Duquesne (MSc, Sorbonne Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, EREN, Centre for Epidemiology and Statistics Research (CRESS)) cautions: “It is important to note that our analysis is cross-sectional and observational in nature and does not assess longitudinal associations. Although the data do not establish causation, our study is the first of its kind and contributes to the existing body of knowledge on UPF.”
Other study limitations include the reliance on self-reported data and possible misclassification of some foods. Although UPF intake was similar to nationally representative samples, NutriNet-Santé contained a higher proportion of women and individuals with higher socioeconomic status compared to the general French population, so caution is advised when generalizing the findings.
The researchers recommend that future studies should test for causality and evaluate the association over time, but they encourage people with sleep disorders to consider making dietary changes to determine whether UPFs are contributing to their sleep problems.
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Journal References:
Duquenne, P., et al. (2024). Ultra-processed food intake is an independent risk factor for chronic insomnia. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition. doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2024.02.015.
