A good night’s sleep and a higher IQ could be achieved by eating fish at least once per week — for children, at least.

Share on Pinterest Eating fish weekly may improve children’s sleep quality and intelligence, say researchers.

Researchers found that children aged 9–11 years who ate fish at least once weekly had higher IQ test scores and better sleep quality, compared with children who consumed fish less frequently.

Study co-author Jianghong Liu, of the School of Nursing at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in State College, and colleagues recently reported their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.

Fish is considered an important part of a healthful diet. Not only is it low in saturated fat and rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, but fish is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Research has suggested that omega-3 fatty acids can benefit heart health by reducing the risk of irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, decreasing triglyceride levels, and slightly lowering blood pressure.

Omega-3 fatty acids have also been independently associated with better sleep and increased intelligence.

For their study, Liu and colleagues sought to learn more about the associations between omega-3 and sleep and intelligence, by assessing the fish consumption of 541 children from China aged between 9 and 11 years.

Using a dietary questionnaire, the children reported how much fish they consumed over the past month.

The IQ of the children was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. The children’s parents were asked to complete the Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire, which asks about sleep duration, frequency of waking, and daytime sleepiness.