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Sigma Nutrition Radio

#552: Diet & Sleep Interactions – Marie-Pierre St. Onge, PhD

Feb 11, 2025
Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, an Associate Professor at Columbia University, shares her groundbreaking research on diet and sleep interactions. She discusses how sleep regularity can influence health outcomes and reduce mortality risk. The podcast reveals the bidirectional relationship between sleep quality and dietary habits, emphasizing that restricted sleep can lead to poor food choices. Dr. St-Onge offers practical tips for optimizing sleep through diet, highlighting the benefits of a Mediterranean diet and the importance of meal timing for better health.
41:04

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Sleep regularity significantly influences cardiometabolic health, where consistent sleep patterns are linked to improved metabolic functioning and reduced risk of weight gain.
  • The interplay between diet and sleep is reciprocal, indicating that poor dietary choices can exacerbate sleep quality issues while healthier eating enhances restorative sleep.

Deep dives

Interplay Between Diet and Sleep

The bidirectional relationship between diet and sleep is critical for understanding overall health. Research indicates that sleep duration and quality can significantly influence dietary choices, such as the tendency to consume higher-calorie foods when sleep-deprived. Conversely, dietary patterns rich in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats have been associated with poorer sleep quality and increased insomnia risk. These dynamics highlight the importance of considering both diet and sleep in conjunction for better health outcomes.

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