Fatty foods ‘negatively affect sleep’

Those who eat fatty foods tend to sleep less than those who have healthier diets, a study has shown.

Published in the September 1st issue of the journal Sleep, the research suggests that people who sleep for less than eight hours a night could have an increased obesity risk.

A lack of sleep can cause small changes in eating patterns, which cumulate to alter energy balance, especially in girls, the study showed.

"The relative increase in fat consumption among shorter sleepers by 2.2 per cent per day chronically may contribute to cumulative increases in energy consumption that would be expected to increase risk for obesity and cardiovascular disease," said senior author and principal investigator Dr Susan Redline.

This research suggests that adopting a healthier diet will help people to sleep better, but eating more nutritious foods can also lower a person's risk of developing cancer.

Researchers from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands recently found that eating a variety of vegetables can decrease lung cancer risk.

Do you think what you eat affects how you sleep?