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Changes in fruit and vegetable consumption in relation to changes in sleep characteristics over a 3-month period among young adults
In this study by Jansen et al. (2021), the authors investigated whether the intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) helped improve sleep quality, duration, and symptoms of insomnia. To do so, a sample of 1165 young adults (participants in a randomized control trial, 26 ± 2.8 years of age, 71% women, <3 servings of FV/day consumed) who participated in an online program to help increase FV consumption were evaluated from baseline for a period of up to 3 months. Sleep quality, duration, time to fall asleep, and changes to chronic insomnia (if present) were noted across four categories of FV intake: no change/decrease, increase by one, two, and three or more servings. After controlling for potential confounders (physical activity, depression, education, site, and children), the authors noted that women who increased their FV intake by more than three servings per day were twice as likely to report improvements in their insomnia status, decreased in the time needed to fall asleep, and better sleep quality compared to their peers who had either no changes or reductions in their FV consumptions. While most participants increased their FV consumption by an average of 1.2 ± 1.4 servings overall, no substantial associations were observed in men. The authors conclude that increasing FV intake may help young women enhance their sleep quality and duration, and ameliorate insomnia and associated sleep difficulties. [NPID: Diet, gender differences, insomnia, sleep onset latency, sleep quality]
Year: 2021
