Better sleep thanks to omega-3s?
Can omega-3s help those with insomnia problems?
There would appear to be an association in children between better sleep quality and high blood DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) concentrations. Supplements containing this polyunsaturated fatty acid would not only promote uninterrupted sleep but also increase its duration.
This is what researchers at the University of Oxford in England discovered and published in the Journal of Sleep Research in recent months.
Omega-3 and sleep difficulties: there is a relationship
Sleep disorders in children cause health, behavioral and cognitive problems; similar to those associated with Omega-3 deficiencies. Previous studies have suggested a relationship between sleep deprivation and low Omega-3 levels in infants and children with learning or behavioral difficulties. However, little knowledge still exists about this relationship and the 'hypothesized role of these fatty acids in sleep regulation.
An extra hour of sleep thanks to DHA
The study was conducted on 362 children in the United Kingdom, aged 7 to 9 years. At the beginning of the trial, parents assessed their children's sleep habits during one week by means of a questionnaire, revealing that 40 percent of the children, a worrisome number according to the researchers, had experienced clinical problems that included resistance to going to sleep, anxiety, and wakefulness during the night. Each child was then given either supplements containing 600 mg of DHA or a placebo daily for 16 weeks. The team of scientists recorded Omega-3 and Omega-6 levels using blood samples taken from the fingertip. Using wrist sensors, 43 of the young children with sleep disorders were then monitored. The results of the study revealed that, compared with the children who had received the placebo, those who were taking DHA daily slept 58 minutes longer and got up less frequently during the night.
A discovery to be further explored
According to the researchers, this finding would agree with those that have revealed that low levels of DHA are linked with lower concentrations of the hormone melatonin, which is known to regulate sleep-wake cycles. Further studies will be needed, however, given the small number of children involved in this, to confirm this link. In addition, collection of a wider range of demographic variables on the subjects would be appropriate. In any case, the study suggests that children's sleep can be improved with DHA supplements, and indicates yet another benefit of high levels of Omega-3 in the diet.
Source: Paul Montgomery, et al "Fatty acids and sleep in UK children: subjective and pilot objective sleep results from the DOLAB study - a randomized controlled trial." Journal of Sleep Research, doi: 10.1111/jsr.12135, published online March 8, 2014. University of Oxford news release, accessed March 14, 2014.
