A new study has, for the first time, shown that certain nutrients may play an underlying role in short and long sleep duration, and that people who report eating a large variety of foods — an indicator of an overall healthy diet — had the healthiest sleep patterns. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania analysed data from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which includes demographic, socioeconomic, dietary, and health-related questions.