Jackson Philippa
Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, UK.
Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2025 Mar 1;28(2):61-65. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000001095. Epub 2024 Dec 2.
Sleep disturbance and low dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids are common in modern society. Previous research shows that omega-3 fatty acids play an integral role in the regulation of sleep processes, but efficacy data in adults have been equivocal to date. This review examines recent studies highlighting the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on sleep quality and circadian processes.
Two randomized controlled trials in healthy adults found that supplementation with DHA-rich interventions improved sleep quality, though effects may vary depending on age, current sleep habits and habitual omega-3 intake. Conversely, EPA-rich interventions in menopausal women, men with prostate cancer and people experiencing episodic migraines did not improve sleep quality. Advances in lipidomics reveal a bidirectional relationship between sleep disturbance and lipid metabolism, to some extent underpinned by activity of omega-3 fatty acids in circadian processes. Therefore, adequate omega-3 fatty acid intake is both a preventive and therapeutic approach to sleep quality and health.
Omega-3 fatty acids and DHA in particular show promise for improving sleep quality and limiting the adverse effects of sleep disturbance on health. Future research should focus on developing sex-specific and age-specific recommendations for omega-3 fatty acid intake to optimize sleep health.
睡眠障碍和ω-3脂肪酸的低膳食摄入量在现代社会很常见。先前的研究表明，ω-3脂肪酸在睡眠过程的调节中起着不可或缺的作用，但迄今为止，关于成年人的疗效数据尚不明确。本综述探讨了最近一些强调ω-3脂肪酸对睡眠质量和昼夜节律过程影响的研究。
两项针对健康成年人的随机对照试验发现，补充富含DHA的干预措施可改善睡眠质量，不过效果可能因年龄、当前睡眠习惯和ω-3脂肪酸的习惯性摄入量而异。相反，在绝经后女性、前列腺癌男性和发作性偏头痛患者中，补充富含EPA的干预措施并未改善睡眠质量。脂质组学的进展揭示了睡眠障碍与脂质代谢之间的双向关系，在一定程度上由ω-3脂肪酸在昼夜节律过程中的活性所支撑。因此，充足的ω-3脂肪酸摄入量对睡眠质量和健康既是一种预防措施，也是一种治疗方法。
ω-3脂肪酸，尤其是DHA，在改善睡眠质量和限制睡眠障碍对健康的不利影响方面显示出前景。未来的研究应侧重于制定针对ω-3脂肪酸摄入量的性别和年龄特异性建议，以优化睡眠健康。
