Nutrition and Sleep
29 May, 2026
Sleep can often be under-valued, however, prioritizing sleep, can have a huge impact on our health and life in many ways.
Sleep requirements change over our lives. If we are unwell, sleep deprived or healing from a significant injury, we will need more. The average requirements are:
- 0-2 year olds: 11 to 17 hours
- 3-12 year olds: 9 to 13 hours
- 13-17 year olds: 8 to 10 hours
- 18-65 year olds: 7 to 9 hours
- Over 65’s: 7 to 8 hours
Not getting enough sleep can cause fatigue, poor concentration, a reduced ability to self-care, impact learning, work performance and participate in leisure and physical activities that we enjoy.
From a nutrition perspective, poor sleep can directly impact our food choices due to low energy levels and reduced cognitive ability to be able to meal plan, shop, cook and eat a nutritionally balanced diet. This can include ensuring meals are balanced in the right portions and nutritious snacks are eaten to give your body all the nutrients it needs over the day.
Poor sleep can impact our connection with our body’s natural hunger regulation. When we do not get enough sleep our hunger hormone, grehlin, is more active and makes us feel hungrier over the day which can impact our food choices, often going for those high energy foods which can increase unwanted fat stores.
Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to skipping breakfast, which, as the research shows, impacts the likelihood of eating more discretionary foods and not meeting the body’s nutrition needs. Skipping meals can contribute to a reduced metabolic rate, reduced blood sugar control and increases unwanted fat stores which can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
Did you know we burn more energy when sleeping than watching TV? When we sleep, our body heals and regenerates all the cells in our body. As we sleep, we burn fat as our main energy source. Therefore, poor sleep can lead to reduced muscle mass and increase fat stores.
Physical Activity
- We know screens can activate the brain and central nervous system to make sleep more difficult and limiting to 2 hours a day for leisure is recommended. You may need less if you find this does not help.
- Including cardio and weight bearing activity for at least 30 minutes most days is recommended for optimal health and well-being including good sleep. You may need more if you find this is not enough.
- Choosing physical activities that are social and that you enjoy are the best to ensure you continue doing them long term and you feel happy at the end of your day and you feel your body needs a good night’s sleep.
If you have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep there can be a number of things that can help.
- Plan to go to bed at the same time every night so you get the number of hours your body needs.
- For at least half an hour before bed, turn off all screens, dim the lights and do a relaxing activity such as reading, journalling, playing cards, (not on a screen), yoga, mediation, breathing exercises, sleep visualization, listening, singing or playing music.
- Avoid caffeine including black or green tea, coffee, cola, guarana drinks, chocolate and chocolate flavored foods. Caffeine is a diuretic and known to contribute to sleep disturbance, heart palpitations and anxiety. Caffeinated beverages are not recommended for children for this reason. There is not a known recommended level of caffeine for people who have anxiety or suffer from sleep disturbance.
- Avoid alcohol, another substance known to impact sleep.
- Some people find camomile tea can help their sleep, however the dose is important so figuring out the strength- do you need a strong cup or weak cup to be beneficial.
- If you wake up to go to the toilet, avoid drinking for 2 hours before bed and be mindful of whether you have trained yourself into the habit of waking up to go to the toilet unnecessarily.
Nutrition Deficiencies
-Iron deficiency is very common in our society. 20% of 3 year olds and up to 50% of women are iron deficient. Iron deficiency can contribute to sleep disturbance amongst other symptoms of poor concentration, fatigue, irritability and hyperactivity in children. Iron deficiency can often be seen with zinc and magnesium deficiency.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency can often go hand in hand with iron deficiency and can contribute to fatigue and sleep changes.
- Vitamin D can impact your circadian rhythm and sleep as well.
If you are concerned you have nutrition deficiencies, it is best to get a blood test from your GP.
Food Intolerances
Food intolerances can be another contributing factor to poor sleep for people who are food sensitive, particularly babies and children. Foods containing certain additives or concentrated flavours, or if an especially sensitive individual, also wheat, milk or soy. Symptoms can be colic, irritability, restlessness, gut complaints like reflux, diarrhoea, and even alternating diarrhoea and constipation, bloating and pain, headaches and migraines, skin rashes (especially around the mouth and creases of the elbows and knees, difficult behaviour in children, hyperactivity, poor concentration or brain fog and even anxiety and depression the later more so in adults.
It is highly recommended not to just take a supplement or cut out foods. It is incredibly important that you consult an Accredited Practising Dietitian to have a nutrition assessment to uncover how your eating can improve your sleep. You will get individualized support to make changes to your ‘diaita’ or ‘way of life,’ addressing sleep, physical activity and food intake to foster a positive relationship with food and your body and your family for overall optimal health and well-being.