How does our children’s diet affect their sleep?

Let’s talk about fatty acids

School-aged children

Deficiencies of long-chain fatty acids, such as omega 3’s are associated with behavioral and cognitive problems are sleep disorders. A RTC study from the UK looked into whether fatty acids play a role in sleep regulation in children ages 7-9 years old. In this study, they supplemented children for 16 weeks with 600mg per day of algal (plant-based, which is interesting) DHA. They also looked at a sub-group who were underperforming in reading. 40% of the children had a clinical sleep disorder based on the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Children with lower blood levels of DHA had poorer sleep scores. They did not find a statistically significant difference between the placebo and treatment groups on the sleep questionnaires. However, the researchers did note that the children in the treatment group had seven fewer awakenings and 58 min more sleep a night, which, in my opinion, is clinically significant.

Additional population studies have shown adolescents who have higher plasma levels of DHA correlate with longer duration of sleep (by 32 minus) and early sleep timing.

Toddlers

A different study, published in Pediatrics in 2019, explored the role of DHA and AA supplementation on sleep in toddlers who were born preterm. This was a double-blinded, RTC. Children were ages 10-16 months and were born less than 35 weeks gestation (377 total). The children were given 200mg of DHA and 200mg of AA for 108 days and were found to have greater improvements in sleep than the placebo group.

Infants

This leads to the question, when does DHA consumption start to matter? Is it when your child is a toddler, infant, newborn, or adolescent? Studies have shown that maternal consumption of DHA actually benefits infant sleep, suggesting DHA has a role even prenatally. A study from 2012, which was a double-blind RTC, looked at newborn sleep and maternal DHA. Mothers took 300mg of DHA 5 days a week at 24 weeks gestation until delivery. Their babies had less arousals in their sleep compared to the placebo group. The recommended DHA intake for pregnant mothers is 200mg/day.

These studies suggest there is a potential role for omega 3s in pediatric sleep.

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What about the evermore common processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods have been shown to have a negative impact on cholesterol, neurodegenerative disease, and cardiovascular health to name a few. Less often discussed is the effect of highly processed food consumption on children’s sleep. A meta-analysis published in Nutrition in 2023 showed that a high intake of processed foods was associated with significantly worsened sleep quality and duration n children children and adolescents. This effect was even more pronounced when controlling for confounding variables. Unfortunately, studies show that in the US processed foods account for almost 30-50% of children’s and adolescent diets. Studies have also shown an association between carbonated drinks and anxiety-induced sleep disturbances among adolescents. Adolescents who consume >3 soft drinks a day were 200% more likely to have sleep disturbances.