HIGHER OMEGA-3 DHA IN CHILDREN MAY PROVIDE BETTER SLEEP: A research team has found that higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acid called DHA and the omega-6 fatty acid called AA are associated with improved sleep. In this placebo-controlled study, all children studied were 7-9 years old. Half of the 362 children studied were given placebos and the rest took 600 mg of DHA from algae daily for 16 weeks and sleep patterns were assessed before and after the study. Also, 43 of the children were also fitted with wrist sensors to monitor their movements in bed over five nights. Results indicated that supplemented children got 58 minutes more sleep per night and had seven fewer waking episodes nightly. Blood levels of DHA were also tested and the findings indicated that higher blood levels of DHA were significantly associated with better sleep and less bedtime resistance, and total sleep disturbance. The study also found that higher ratios of DHA in relation to the long-chain omega-6 fatty acid AA (arachidonic acid) were also associated with fewer sleep problems. The study will be published in a future issue of the Journal of Sleep Research but has not yet been released to the public.
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