The relationship between micronutrient status and sleep patterns: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective To review articles on the relationship of dietary and circulating micronutrients with sleep patterns, and to identify issues surrounding implications for future research and public health practice. Design A systematic review was conducted. PubMed, Embase and Scopus were searched through January 2016. Setting Both experimental and observational studies were included. However, studies that focused on secondary sleep impairment due to comorbidities were excluded. Subjects Individuals in different age groups, from infants to older adults. Results A total of twenty-six articles were selected. In the articles reviewed, researchers generally supported a potential role of micronutrients, particularly Fe and Mg, in the development of sleep stages among infants and in reversing age-related alterations in sleep architecture in older adults. Micronutrient status has also been linked to sleep duration, with sleep duration positively associated with Fe, Zn and Mg levels, and negatively associated with Cu, K and vitamin B12 levels. The mechanisms underlying these relationships include the impact of micronutrients on excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmitters and the expression of circadian genes. Conclusions Although the number of studies on the relationship between micronutrient status and sleep remains low, evidence has emerged that suggests a link between dietary/circulating micronutrients and sleep. Future research is needed to investigate the dose-dependent as well as the longitudinal relationships between micronutrient levels and human sleep across populations, test the interactions among micronutrients on sleep outcomes, and ultimately examine the clinical relevance of micronutrients on sleep health.

Micronutrient Intakes of British Adults Across Mid-Life: A Secondary Analysis of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey

“…Clearly, further research is needed on individuals with suboptimal rather than acute nutritional shortfalls to see if such inter-associations still exist and in relation to the potential role(s) of other micronutrients. Other recent work has found that nutrients such as iron, zinc, and magnesium are positively associated with sleep duration with potential mechanisms appearing to involve the effects that micronutrients have on neurotransmitters and the expression of circadian genes ( 46 ). Ongoing work is undoubtedly needed to monitor the ramifications of ongoing food trends, food fortification, and updated public policies.…”

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Score and Its Association with Sleep Quality in a National Survey of Middle-Aged and Older Men and Women

“…Sleep is a crucial lifestyle factor that has only recently begun to draw attention in research and practice. Optimal sleep patterns have a tangible impact on chronic physical and psychological disorders [1], with poor sleep quality being related to depression, cardiometabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease and cancer incidence as well as elevated mortality rates [2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Sleep accounts for one-third of an individual's lifetime, with 7-8 h being the optimal daily duration for most age groups, as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation [9][10][11][12].…”

“…Recently, a global epidemic of sleep disorders has emerged [14]. Given that those disorders are highly prevalent and carry negative impacts on general health, modifiable risk factors need to be uncovered, which can be used for prevention [1].…”

Bridging the Reciprocal Gap between Sleep and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: A Review of the Evidence, Potential Mechanisms, Implications, and Directions for Future Work

“…The reciprocal relationship between sleep and diet in humans has been studied since the 1980s [30,31,32]. Sleep disruption affects dietary intake [29,33,34] and dietary intake affects sleep [2,35,36]. With the reciprocal relationship in mind, The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends consuming 400 g or more of FV per day to improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases [37].…”