—- premieres Wednesday 6 March at 7.30pm on SBS . —-
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Australia's Sleep Revolution with Dr Michael Mosley
series • documentary
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series • documentary
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If there’s one unifying thing that most of us understand – regardless of our age, culture or food preferences – is that a great night’s sleep simply feels really good.
Whether you’re tired, sick or just in need of a cosy rest, getting hours of undisturbed shut-eye can be transforming. Sleep length and quality are the two factors that determine whether you’ve had a ‘good sleep’. If you wake up feeling replenished, then you’ve hit the snoozy mark.
But the magic of sleep doesn’t need to end as soon as you wake up.during
If you're sleeping better, you’ll feel better and be more likely to make better food decisions in the day.Dr Michael Mosley
Our favourite TV doctor, , tells SBS that we can move closer to our dietary goals just by getting a good night’s sleep. (How amazing is sleep?)
“If you want to have a healthy, happy life you’ve got to maintain a healthy weight, eat well and exercise,” Dr Mosley tells SBS. “But you’ve also got to sleep well.
“All of these aspects of good health interact with each other. If you're sleeping better, you’ll feel better and be more likely to make better food decisions during the day. If you’re sleep deprived, you might make bad food and drink choices.”
Sleep better, eat healthier
On average, Dr Mosley says, people eat 200-300 calories more than they usually do after a bad night’s sleep.
“When you're tired, you might really want to reach for that doughnut. You know that it's not terribly good for you, but eating a doughnut is going to make you feel better for the next 20 minutes or so.
"Then, you might glug down gallons of caffeine, because you know that coffee will get you going again.”
Why sleep is linked to food
Co-director of the at Deakin University, explains the psychological link between poor food choices and sleep that Dr Mosley refers to.
“We simply seek reward and comfort from food when we feel poorly,” explains A/Prof O’Neil. “We all know that we feel poorly after an interrupted night's sleep or after a night of sleep deprivation.
“If you don’t sleep well, you've got more hours in the day to consume food and drink. Our taste perceptions may also change due to an interrupted night’s sleep, which is another reason why we might seek out hyper-palatable foods for a quick energy hit.”
Who wants to cook when they are so exhausted?
Let’s not forget that a bad night’s sleep just makes you like slumping on the couch and ordering takeout. Who wants to cook when they are so exhausted?
“There is that those who sleep better report higher self-efficacy (self-belief) that drives better dietary intakes and lifestyle behaviours,” A/Prof O’Neil says.
“You can understand why this might be the case, as you may be more likely to meal plan, cook homemade meals and the like if you feel replenished after a good night’s sleep.”
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Sleep can also affect our appetite through the regulation of two hormones – . “These hormones are meant to be in balance but poor sleep can throw them off.”
When they’re haywire, our feeling of hunger may be higher, while satiety drops. But when you’re well rested, these hormones are in balance, so our hunger and satiety levels may be regulated.
Break the cycle
Why is it important to know the relationship between the way we sleep and our dietary habits? Once you understand that the interaction between these two pillars of life, you’ll be aware of the sleep-food cycle you’re up against so you can break it.
“The relationship between sleep and what you eat is cyclical,” O’Neil. “What you put in your body during the day will then influence the following night’s sleep.”
Simply speaking, if you sleep badly then drink a lot of coffee to stay awake throughout the day and eat poorly because you’re too tired to cook, you’re likely to have another bad sleep – and so on.
So how do we break this cycle, get great sleep and give ourselves a chance to eat well? Firstly, if you’re living with insomnia, experiencing major sleep symptoms or just need a bit of help, it’s important to see a doctor.
If you don’t have any medical sleep issues, then Prof O’Neil advises you to make a few lifestyle changes that will improve your sleep and consequently, help you to eat better.
“It's really about understanding your body. We know that some people need more sleep than others and can survive on five hours a night and function well the next day. Other people will need to sleep eight hours a night to feel well-rested and refreshed. When it comes to sleep, everyone is different.
“You just need to do what works for you and make small changes in your lifestyle. In doing so, you’ll notice big differences in the way that you sleep and eat.”
