Sleep and Food Preferences

Abstract

Short sleep duration is correlated with an increased BMI, but the mechanisms behind this relationship are not fully known. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sleep deprivation on dietary intake. Medical residents in good health served as subjects in this crossover study. Twenty adults aged 25 to 48 years completed two testing visits: one sleep deprived (≤ 4 hours of sleep) and one normal (≥ 6 hours of sleep). Food and beverage intake was collected on the days before and after testing by direct observation of breakfast and completion of 24-hour dietary recalls. Sleep deprivation did not significantly affect total energy intake the day after sleep manipulation. Mean energy intake under the sleep deprived condition was 2164.49± 946 calories and 2365.98±844 calories under the normal sleep condition (p=0.57). No differences were seen in macronutrient distribution between the two conditions. There were also no differences in caffeine, fiber, sodium, or sugar intake between the two conditions. In contrast to our expectation, sleep deprivation had no effect on total energy intake or macronutrient distribution. Further research in this area should continue to be conducted as similar studies have found mixed results, and no conclusive statements can be made at this time.