The associations between sleep quality and eating patterns in young adults

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to examine the associations between sleep quality and eating patterns, including missing meals, snacking after dinner, and considering nutrition when choosing foods, in a college‐aged young adults. Participants consisted of both men and women at least 18 years of age, from a university campus in Southern California (n = 346). Sleep and eating pattern data were collected via a 17‐item sleep assessment questionnaire and a 5‐item sociocultural questionnaire, both of which were self‐administered. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Univariate analyses, including chi‐square tests and a Spearman correlation coefficient, were used to assess the relationship between sleep quality and PSQI with eating behaviors. We found that missing a meal in the day was associated with sleep quality (χ2 = 15.04, p < 0.05) and that snacking after dinner was associated with trouble falling asleep (χ2 = 8.47, p < 0.05). Furthermore, we found that considering nutrition when incorporating food into diet was inversely correlated with PSQI (r = −0.14, p < 0.05). These results suggest that sleep quality is significantly associated to eating habits, a finding which has implications for nutrition education related to improving sleep. Specifically, promoting the importance of regular eating habits, not eating prior to bed, and improving nutrition education may influence better quality sleep for young adults. Supported by CDC grant #1H75DP001814‐01.