Junk food diets keeping teenagers up at night

Medical experts have urged teenagers to rethink their diet choices, as new research shows soft drinks and fast food are keeping them up at night.

The study from the University of Queensland found frequently eating processed food and carbonated soft drinks can cause stress-related sleep disturbance.

Boys who drank more than three soft drinks per day had a 55 per cent increase of interrupted sleep, compared to those who only drank one can of soft drink a day.

The University of Queensland's Dr Asad Khan said having soft drinks more than three times a day and fast food more than four days per week are significantly associated with sleep disturbance in all but low-income countries.

"If you are sleep deprived then you are likely to have that kind of hormone which is actually making you hungrier so you are going to have more food."

The study of more than 175 thousand students from 64 countries found those in high income-countries had the highest association with frequent intake of soft drinks and sleep disturbance.

Females in those countries showed the biggest connection between regularly eating fast foods and sleep problems, and stress-related sleep disturbance was more common among girls than boys.

"Girls should be a priority target group for associated interventions that could target stress management and sleep quality." Dr Khan said.

He's also called for a sugar tax and a revamped education program.

"We need to work together at the policy level at the society level at the school at the family and we need to educate our kids."