0271 Effects of Experimentally Shortened Sleep on Dietary Outcomes in Adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Adolescents who sleep less may consume more calories during the day; however, shortened sleep may have greater impact on the dietary quality of foods, particularly foods high in sugar content. This study examined the impact of shortened sleep on total caloric intake, macronutrients of food (fats, proteins, carbohydrates), added sugars consumed, and glycemic load/index of foods consumed. Methods 110 adolescents (ages 14–17, M = 15.73(1.80); 63.6% female) underwent a within-subject counterbalanced experimental sleep manipulation, spending either 6.5 or 9.5 hours/night in bed for five nights. During each sleep period, adolescents completed three dietary recalls (reporting amounts and types of foods consumed over a 24-hour period) administered by dietary core study staff. We conducted a series of repeated-measure general linear models comparing averaged weekly dietary outcomes of interest by sleep condition. We also explored whether experimental order of the sleep conditions, family income, or adolescent gender, body mass index (BMI), or race moderated the main effects of sleep condition on dietary outcomes. Alpha was set at .05 for primary analyses and .01 for exploratory analyses. Results We observed a main effect of sleep on carbohydrates (p=.038) and added sugars (p=.009) consumed, as well as the glycemic index (p=.013) and glycemic load (p=.009) of foods consumed. We did not observe a main effect of sleep on total calories or total grams of fat or protein consumed. Exploratory analysis found no significant interactions of the moderators with sleep condition on dietary outcomes. Conclusion Adolescents are consuming more carbohydrates, added sugars, and foods higher in glycemic index and load when sleep restricted, compared to well-rested, despite eating comparable amounts of calories. Sleep restricted adolescents may be drawn to foods that provide quick releases of energy to counteract sleepiness experienced during the day. Support R01 HL120879