Is there a relationship between the ketogenic diet and sleep disorders?

Luigi Barrea, Gabriella Pugliese, Evelyn Frias-Toral, Bruno Napolitano, Daniela Laudisio, Sara Aprano, Florencia Ceriani, Silvia Savastano, Annamaria Colao, Giovanna Muscogiuri

Journal: International journal of food sciences and nutrition 2022;73(3):285-295

PMID: 34702129

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Abstract

Sleep disorders are very often underestimated and, consequently, not treated with due priority. Common sleep disorders include insomnia disorders, sleep-related breathing disorders, central disorders of hypersomnolence, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, parasomnias, and other sleep disorders. The ketogenic diet (KD) is rich in fat, low in carbohydrates (CHO), and adequate in protein. The KD has shown several applications in treating medical conditions, such as epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorders, obesity with its comorbidities, and sleep disorders, with encouraging results. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to address the primary sleep disorders and their respective standard therapeutic approaches, analyse the effect of ketone bodies (KBs) on sleep homeostasis, and the effects of KD on sleep disorders and in particular on obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) syndrome. The goal is to summarise the evidence existing up to now on the subject, to provide a starting point for further investigations.

Address: Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche, Università Telematica Pegaso, Napoli, Italy.; Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, University Medical School of Naples, Naples, Italy.; Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, University Medical School of Naples, Naples, Italy.; Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Unit of Endocrinology, Federico II University Medical School of Naples, Naples, Italy.; Clinical Research Associate Professor for Palliative Care Residency from Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil, Av. Pdte. Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola, Guayaquil, Ecuador.; Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, University Medical School of Naples, Naples, Italy.; Nutrition School, Universidad de la Republica (UdelaR), Montevideo, Uruguay.; Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del paziente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, University Medical School of Naples, Naples, Italy.; Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Unit of Endocrinology, Federico II University Medical School of Naples, Naples, Italy.; Cattedra Unesco "Educazione alla salute e allo sviluppo sostenibile", University Federico II, Naples, Italy.

DOI: 10.1080/09637486.2021.1993154

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https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09637486.2...

MeSH Terms: Diet, Ketogenic, Humans, Ketone Bodies, Sleep Wake Disorders