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Sleep timing linked to greater fast food, lower vegetable intake

Among healthy adults who receive at least 6.5 hours of sleep each night, late sleep timing and dim light melatonin onset were associated with diet quality, particularly fast food intake and especially among men, according to data presented at SLEEP 2016.

“Our results help us further understand how sleep timing in addition to duration may affect obesity risk,” Kelly Glazer Baron, PhD, of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, said in a press release. “It is possible that poor dietary behaviors may predispose individuals with late sleep to increased risk of weight gain.”

To determine the associations between circadian measures and sleep timing with BMI, body fat, diet and exercise behaviors among healthy adults, Baron and colleagues analyzed data from 96 adults aged 18 to 50 with sleep duration of at least 6.5 hours. Participants completed 7 days of wrist actigraphy to measure sleep, food diaries to measure caloric intake and dietary patterns, and Sensewear arm-band monitoring to measure physical activity.

Dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) was analyzed in the clinical research unit, whereas body fat was evaluated using dual axis absorptiometry. Data were evaluated using correlation and regression analyses, controlling for age, sex, sleep duration and sleep efficiency.

According to the researchers, average sleep duration among participants was 443.7 minutes, and average DLMO was 22:36 +1:27. Average BMI and body fat percentage were in the normal range (24 +4.6 kg/m², 30.4 +8.4%). Later timing, taking into account sleep onset, offset and DLMO, were not associated with BMI, body fat percentage, caloric intake or physical activity. However, sleep onset time and DLMO were significantly associated with fast food intake (P < .05). Later sleep offset time was associated with fewer servings of vegetables (P < .04). The relationships between sleep onset and offset with fast food and vegetable intake were stronger among males than females. – by Jason Laday

Disclosure: Healio Family Medicine could not confirm researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.

Reference:

Baron KG, et al. Abstract 0132. Presented at SLEEP 2016; June 11-15; Denver.