Food consumption and food choice following one week of sleep restriction : a pilot study

There is evidence to suggest that restricting sleep may result in overconsumption of food and poor food choices. This has been attributed to disruption in appetite hormones following sleep restriction (SR). The aim of this study was to investigate food consumption and food choices before and after either one week of SR or a control condition consisting of one week of 8 h time in bed (TIB)

Sleep duration and chronic fatigue are differently associated with the dietary profile of shift workers

Shift work has been associated with dietary changes. This study examined factors associated with the dietary profiles of shift workers from several industries (n = 118, 57 male; age = 43.4 ± 9.9 years) employed on permanent mornings, nights, or rotating 8-h or 12-h shifts. The dietary profile was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Shift-related (e.g., sleep duration and fatigue), work-related (e.g., industry), and demographic factors (e.g., BMI) were measured using a modified version of the Standard Shift work Index. Mean daily energy intake was 8628 ± 3161 kJ. As a percentage of daily energy intake, all workers reported lower than recommended levels of carbohydrate (CHO, 45%-65%). Protein was within recommended levels (15%-25%). Permanent night workers were the only group to report higher than recommended fat intake (20%-35%). However, all workers reported higher than recommended levels of saturated fat (>10%) with those on permanent nights reporting significantly higher levels than other groups (Mean = 15.5% ± 3.1%, p < 0.05). Shorter sleep durations and decreased fatigue were associated with higher CHO intake (p ≤ 0.05) whereas increased fatigue and longer sleep durations were associated with higher intake of fat (p ≤ 0.05). Findings demonstrate sleep duration, fatigue, and shift schedule are associated with the dietary profile of shift workers

The effect of sleep restriction on snacking behaviour during a week of simulated shiftwork

Due to irregular working hours shiftworkers experience circadian disruption and sleep restriction. There is some evidence to indicate that these factors adversely affect health through changes in snacking behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of sleep restriction, prior wake and circadian phase on snacking behaviour during a week of simulated shiftwork. Twenty-four healthy males (age: 22.0 ± 3.6 years, mean ± SD) lived in a sleep laboratory for 12 consecutive days. Participants were assigned to one of two schedules: a moderate sleep restriction condition (n = 10) equivalent to a 6-h sleep opportunity per 24 h or a severe sleep restriction condition (n = 14) equivalent to a 4-h sleep opportunity per 24 h. In both conditions, sleep/wake episodes occurred 4 h later each day to simulate a rotating shiftwork pattern. While living in the laboratory, participants were served three meals and were provided with either five (moderate sleep restriction condition) or six (severe sleep restriction condition) snack opportunities daily. Snack choice was recorded at each opportunity and assigned to a category (sweet, savoury or healthy) based on the content of the snack. Data were analysed using a Generalised Estimating Equations approach. Analyses show a significant effect of sleep restriction condition on overall and sweet snack consumption. The odds of consuming a snack were significantly greater in the severe sleep restriction condition (P < 0.05) compared to the moderate sleep restriction condition. In particular, the odds of choosing a sweet snack were significantly increased in the severe sleep restriction condition (P < 0.05). Shiftworkers who are severely sleep restricted may be at risk of obesity and related health disorders due to elevated snack consumption and unhealthy snack choice. To further understand the impact of sleep restriction on snacking behaviour, future studies should examine physiological, psychological and environmental motivators

The influence of circadian phase and prior wake on positive and negative mood during a sleep-restricted forced desynchrony protocol

Aims: To determine the effects of prior wake and circadian phase on subjectivemood while employing a novel sleep restricted forced desynchrony (FD)protocol. It was hypothesised that positive mood (i.e. Vigour) would beinfluenced by a circadian and homeostatic process, whereas negative mood (i.e.Confusion, Tension, Anger, Depression, Fatigue) would not