If you sleep less than 7 hours a night, a new science indicates that you might need some simple things to stay healthy

A number of studies suggest that at least seven hours of sleep are ideal for your health, but we can also delve deeper into this research to find alternatives to help those who are sleep-free by choice or not.

In a study conducted and funded by the vitamin and supplement manufacturer Pharmavite, it was noted that scientists found that people who sleep less than seven hours on average also consume fewer vitamins A, D, B1 and B3, as well as than magnesium, calcium, zinc and phosphorus.

"It remains to be determined whether chronic lack of nutrients causes chronic nutritional insufficiency or not," said Chioma Ikonte, principal investigator. "A clinical study that studies the effects of nutrient supplementation on sleep outcomes is needed to demonstrate the cause and effect."

The research used data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey and also revealed that taking dietary supplements could be helpful for under-nourished people.

"This work adds to the growing evidence linking specific nutrient intakes to the effects of sleep," Ikonte said. "Our results suggest that people with a short duration of sleep could benefit from an improvement in their intake of these nutrients through a diet and supplementation."

Other studies have suggested that lack of sleep can make us want to eat high fat foods and other less healthy foods. It may be drowsiness that consumes all this junk food at the expense of healthier meals containing the vitamins and minerals our body needs.

The science here is certainly not conclusive yet, but there may be little difficulty in considering your diet when you have slept less or have eaten vitamins during the day.