Report Finds Vegetarians and Vegans Sleep 36 Minutes More Per Night
Sleep Foundation – the leading website for sleep information and news – published a survey which found that vegetarians and vegans sleep 36 minutes more per night than average, with up to 90% reporting good or excellent sleep quality.
Those following a raw food diet get even better sleep — 48 more minutes per night of sleep and 97% with above-average sleep quality.
KEY FINDINGS:
- Vegetarians and vegans sleep 36 minutes more per night than average, with up to 90% reporting good or excellent sleep quality. Those following a raw food diet get even better sleep — 48 more minutes per night of sleep and 97% with above-average sleep quality.
- Folks who follow no particular diet sleep 12 minutes less per night than average, and only 36% rate their sleep quality above average.
- When it comes to snacking, those who choose yogurt sleep better, and those who like sweet treats such as brownies or cookies don’t do so badly — but popcorn snackers routinely get some of the worst sleep.
- Those who often eat foods good for sleep, such as fatty fish, tart cherries, and kiwi, sleep up to 42 minutes more per night than average.
- Insomnia is the top sleep issue reported among survey respondents (41%), affecting almost half of intermittent fasters (48%) and those following gluten-free (47%) and diabetic (47%) diets.
Sleep Physician Dr. Abhinav Singh (MD) said this about diets and sleep:
“Poor sleep leads to poor food choices. That’s why they’re called comfort foods – because nobody who’s tired and sleep-deprived is going to reach for a salad.
Processed foods and sugary treats should be infrequent, especially before bed, [because] eating processed foods at 10 p.m. can spike your blood sugar, which activates your kidneys. Then your sleep quality is poor because there are these micro awakenings and even bathroom breaks at night, which can then start to fuel some insomnia habits.
People who sleep less can overeat by 200 or 300 calories the next day. You multiply that by six months or a year every day, and that can lead to being overweight, which can precipitate some sleep disorders. Weight gain can be a risk factor for snoring and sleep apnea.”
Dr. Abhinav Singh (MD, FAASM), Medical Review Expert at Sleep Foundation, Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center and Author of Sleep to Heal.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
