From Plate to Pillow: Nutrition solutions for better sleep webinar

Hosted by Ella Kaur (Practitioner Lead, Registered Nutritionist and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) with guest speaker Sue Potgieter, RN, rANP, rGNC.

This webinar reviews the physiology of sleep and the different ways insomnia presents. It offers clinic-ready, evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle strategies to support sleep onset and sleep maintenance, including how circadian rhythm and sleep pressure work together. It also covers practical referral triggers.

Key Points Discussed

Why sleep is clinically foundational

Poor sleep affects metabolic regulation, cardiovascular health, immune function, mood, cognition and physical recovery. The relationships are often bi-directional: health issues disrupt sleep, and sleep affects health.

Sleep architecture refresher

• Healthy adults typically cycle through 4–6 cycles a night, each around 90–110 minutes, moving through NREM stages (N1–N3) and REM.
• Deep sleep (N3) is front-loaded, while REM increases towards the morning.

What deep sleep does

1. It supports physical restoration and immune function, including growth hormone release and anabolic 'building' processes.
2. It is tied to glymphatic clearance, which removes metabolic waste from the brain.
3. Reduced deep sleep is associated with cognitive decline and neuroinflammation.

The two processes that control sleep

Process C (circadian): Light via the retina helps regulate melatonin, cortisol, body temperature, insulin sensitivity, digestion and immune activity.

Process S (homeostatic sleep pressure): Adenosine builds while awake and is cleared during sleep. Timing matters as much as duration.

Insomnia types drive different nutrition strategies

• Sleep onset insomnia: Hyperarousal (anxiety/worry), pain, stimulants and a delayed circadian rhythm.
• Sleep maintenance insomnia: More physiological contributors:
• Blood glucose fluctuations
• Menopause-related issues
• Alcohol and pain
• Sleep apnoea and restless legs
• Cortisol and medication side effects

When and why to refer

Referral is recommended for:

• Suspected sleep apnoea
• Persistent insomnia beyond 3 months
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Restless legs
• Depression-related insomnia
• Cases where medication side effects may be contributing

Key Takeaways

1. Identify the insomnia type first (onset vs maintenance), because the nutrition and lifestyle levers differ.
2. Ask timing-specific questions: sleep latency, wake times, time awake, nocturnal behaviours, and patterns over around 2 weeks (using a sleep diary).
3. Tailor circadian and metabolic support: morning light, a consistent schedule, meal timing, and mindful caffeine and alcohol cut-offs based on the individual's metabolism.

Conclusion

This webinar delivers a clinically practical framework:

• Treat sleep as foundational to health.
• Classify insomnia by presentation.
• Apply targeted nutrition and lifestyle interventions based on circadian timing, sleep pressure, blood glucose patterns, alcohol/caffeine metabolism and gut-brain support.
• Use appropriate referral and evidence-based therapy pathways when needed.

This webinar is fully approved by BANT® and accredited for CPD hours.