Abstract MP58: Eating Behaviors Influence Diet Quality: Impact Of Sleep Restriction

Abstract

Background: Eating behavior is an important construct with predictive value for energy intake and is associated with health. Two characteristics of eating behavior, eating window and eating frequency, are consistently associated with cardiometabolic risk across populations and have been shown to be related to sleep patterns. Both lifestyle factors have been related to cardiometabolic diseases but no long-term study has analyzed the association between sleep and eating behavior. Objective: To analyze the link between eating behavior and diet quality in a randomized, crossover study of sleep restriction (SR) vs adequate sleep (AS). Methods: Sixty-one participants (68% women, 20-73y) underwent 2 phases of 6 wk each, AS (sleep ≥7 h/night) and SR (-1.5 h/night relative to AS). Energy intake, diet quality, number of eating occasions (any eating/drinking episode providing at least 210kJ separated by >15min) and eating window (time elapsed between the first and last eating occasion) were assessed at baseline, wk 3 and wk 6 of each phase using 3-d food records. Linear regression models were used to evaluate associations of eating behavior with diet quality by sleep condition, adjusting for confounding variables. Results: Participants had more eating occasions during SR compared to AS (β= 0.27±0.12, P=0.028). Duration of eating window also tended to be longer during SR compared to AS (β= 0.38±0.22, P=0.090). We then assessed the impact of these dietary behaviors on diet quality separately by condition. During AS, greater number of eating occasions was associated with greater energy intakes (β= 106.5±41.8, P=0.013), carbohydrates (β= 14.0±5.5, P=0.013), protein (β= 4.6±2.2, P=0.040), monounsaturated fat (β= 1.9±0.9, P=0.028), and fiber intakes (β= 2.1±0.8, P=0.010). Dietary glycemic index was also higher in those with greater eating occasions (β= 70.9±27.9, P=0.013). During SR, greater number of eating occasions was associated with greater energy intakes (β= 168.5±36.8, P<0.001), fat (β= 6.3±2.1, P=0.004), carbohydrates (β= 19.7±4.7, P<0.001), protein (β= 6.9±2.0, P<0.001), saturated fat (β= 1.6±0.8, P=0.043), monounsaturated fat (β= 2.9±0.9, P=0.002), sugar (β= 6.5±1.8, P<0.001), and fiber intakes (β= 2.2±0.7, P=0.003). Dietary glycemic index was also higher in those with greater eating occasions (β= 92.8±23.7, P<0.001). Findings were similar but less pronounced for eating window duration. Conclusions: Higher eating frequency is associated with higher intakes of energy and several macronutrients. However, in the context of SR, more frequent eating occasions is associated with a worse dietary profile, namely greater intakes of saturated fat and sugar.