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Sugar-sweetened beverages associated with short sleep in adults
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Short sleep durations were associated with a higher intake of caffeinated, sugared beverages, data from an analysis of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey show.
Researchers wrote that it was not clear whether drinks accounted for impaired sleep, or if short sleep influenced the appetite for caffeinated drinks.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugar in the American diet,” Aric A. Prather, PhD, of the department of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues wrote. “Research on associations between sleep and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, in general, has been limited, and there are no studies exploring the sleep–sugar-sweetened beverage link in adults. If there is evidence that sleep duration is related to amount of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, adequate sleep may serve as a viable intervention target for curbing weight-related disease risk.”
Prather and colleagues reviewed data on the self-reported sleep and beverage intake of 18,799 adults who participated in NHANES from 2005 to 2012. Researchers used adults who slept between 7 and 8 hours each night as the reference group, and generalized linear models were adjusted for health characteristics and demographic information, along with total energy intake.
Among the participants, 13% (n = 2,879) slept 5 hours or less each night, Prather and colleagues reported. More than half (56.6%, n = 10,075) slept between 7 and 8 hours, while 22.8% (n = 4,350) reported sleeping 6 hours. Another 7.7% (n = 1,475) reported sleeping at least 9 hours per night. Those who slept up to 5 hours consumed 21% more sugar-sweetened beverages than those who did not (relative difference: 1.21; 95% CI, 1.11-1.32). The intake of caffeinated drinks accounted for this increase, Prather and colleagues reported.
Participants who reported 5 hours of sleep or less were more likely to have less than a high school education and a lower household income and were more likely to be black and separated, divorced or widowed. They were also more likely to smoke or lead a sedentary lifestyle, report being in poor or fair health, and to be diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Those who slept at least 9 hours also had lower income and less education than those who slept 7 or 8 hours.
“The long-term health consequences of excessive sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, including obesity and economic burden that obesity and obesity-related medical conditions place on the health care system, are substantial. There is a need to identify tractable behavioral pathways that may serve as opportunities for prevention,” the researchers wrote. “Prospective studies tracking longitudinal changes in sleep and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption are warranted.” – by Andy Polhamus
Disclosure: Prather reports consulting fees from Posit Science for an unrelated project. No other researchers report any relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a link between insufficient sleep duration and increased risk for obesity and comorbidities, including diabetes. More than 50 cross-sectional studies originating from multiple countries have found a significant association between short sleep and elevated BMI. The majority of prospective studies, whether in children or adults, found that short sleep predicts greater weight gain or the incidence of obesity, after controlling for multiple confounders. Carefully controlled laboratory studies have shown that sleep restriction leads to increased hunger and appetite, as well as increased energy intake in the presence of ad lib feeding, particularly of snacks. These data are consistent with observations from animal studies that have shown that sleep deprivation produces an increase in food intake.
The present study examines the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages in relation to sleep time and reports that individuals who slept less than 5 hours per night consumed 21% more sugar-sweetened beverages than those who did not, thus adding to the literature indicating that short sleep is associated with increased energy intake. Further, the present study indicated that caffeinated drinks accounted for this increase in intake. Whether these caffeinated drinks are impinging on sleep or if insufficient sleep is producing the drive for caffeinated sugar-sweetened beverage intake, still remains unclear. Nonetheless, there seems to be an association between sleep restriction/insufficient sleep and increased energy intake. I wholeheartedly agree with the authors that more studies examining this link are warranted to help elucidate potential novel preventive strategies for obesity and diabetes.
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