Fatty acids and sleep in UK children: subjective and pilot objective sleep results from the DOLAB study – a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Sleep problems in children are associated with poor health, behavioural and cognitive problems, as are deficiencies of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid. Theory and some evidence support a role for these fatty acids in sleep regulation, but this issue has received little formal investigation. We examined associations between blood fatty acid concentrations (from fingerstick blood samples) and subjective sleep (using an age-standardized parent questionnaire) in a large epidemiological sample of healthy children aged 7–9 years (n = 395) from mainstream UK schools. In a randomized controlled trial, we then explored whether 16-week supplementation (600 mg day−1) with algal docosahexaenoic acid versus placebo might improve sleep in a subset of those children (n = 362) who were underperforming in reading. In a randomly selected subsample (n = 43), sleep was also assessed objectively via actigraphy. In 40% of the epidemiological sample, Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire scores indicated clinical-level sleep problems. Furthermore, poorer total sleep disturbance scores were associated weakly but significantly with lower blood docosahexaenoic acid (std coeff. −0.105*) and a lower docosahexaenoic acid : arachidonic acid ratio (std coeff. −0.119**). The treatment trial showed no significant effects on subjective sleep measures. However, in the small actigraphy subsample, docosahexaenoic acid supplementation led on average to seven fewer wake episodes and 58 min more sleep per night. Cautiously, we conclude that higher blood levels of docosahexaenoic acid may relate to better child sleep, as rated by parents. Exploratory pilot objective evidence from actigraphy suggests that docosahexaenoic acid supplementation may improve children's sleep, but further investigations are needed.

GWAS in 446,118 European adults identifies 78 genetic loci for self-reported habitual sleep duration supported by accelerometer-derived estimates

“…Pathway analyses of these genes using MAGMA 38 and Pascal 39 indicated enrichment of pathways including striatum and subpallium development, mechanosensory response, dopamine binding, catecholamine production, and long-term depression ( Figure 2a,b, Supplementary Table 23,24 ). In agreement the FADS1/2 signal, we also observe an enrichment in genes related to unsaturated fatty acid metabolism, supporting experimental and observational evidence linking polyunsaturated fatty acids with sleep and related diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders and depression 40–42 .…”

Polyunsaturated fatty acids moderate the effect of poor sleep on depression risk

“…In fact, this correlation continued to be significant even when co-varying for both BDI and PSS. LC n -3 fatty acids may influence sleep quality [59-61]; and consistent with our observation, poor sleep correlated with the AA/DHA ratio in children [62] and with lower EPA and DHA levels in depressed inpatients [63]. It is thus possible that fatty acid supplementation can also improve sleep [60, 64].…”

Dietary Macronutrients and Sleep

“…However, the authors cautiously concluded that DHA supplementation in comparison with placebo consumption may lead to better sleep according to both subjective parental data and objective data gathered by Actigraph measurements (Montgomery, Burton, Sewell, Spreckelsen, & Richardson, 2014). …”