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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1779605
Original Article

Association of Evening Eating with Sleep Quality and Insomnia among Adults in a Brazilian National Survey

Maria Eduarda Bezerra Nunes 
Faculty of Nutrition, Research Group Chronobiology, Nutrition, and Health, Faculty of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
,
Caio Henrique Barros dos Santos 
Faculty of Nutrition, Research Group Chronobiology, Nutrition, and Health, Faculty of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
,
Márcia de Oliveira Lima 
Faculty of Nutrition, Research Group Chronobiology, Nutrition, and Health, Faculty of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
,
Anny Kariny Pereira Pedrosa 
Faculty of Nutrition, Research Group Chronobiology, Nutrition, and Health, Faculty of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
,
Risia Cristina Egito de Menezes 
Faculty of Nutrition, Research Group Chronobiology, Nutrition, and Health, Faculty of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
,
Giovana Longo-Silva 
Faculty of Nutrition, Research Group Chronobiology, Nutrition, and Health, Faculty of Nutrition, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
› Author Affiliations Fundings This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas - FAPEAL (Grant/Award Number: 60030.0000002539/2022). AKPP received a master's scholarship from FAPEAL. MOL received a master's scholarship from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES. MEBN received a scientific initiation scholarship from CNPq.
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Abstract

Objective To examine the association of evening eating clock time, its elapsed time to the midpoint of sleep (TEM), consumption of caffeine and sugary foods, and dinner meal size with sleep quality indicators and insomnia.

Methods The present study's participants (n = 2,050; 18–65 y) were part of a population-based research, with virtual data collection. Logistic regression models were fitted to assess differences in the odd ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of sleep duration < 7 hours, sleep latency > 30 min, poor sleep quality, and insomnia (outcomes) with the evening diet-related variables. Linear regression analyses evaluated differences in sleep duration and latency associated with the same variables. Restricted cubic splines were used to investigate the shape of the association of mealtime and TEM with sleep duration and latency.

Results For each hour delay in evening eating and increase in the duration of TEM, the odds of sleep duration < 7 h [OR(95%CI):1.30(1.20,1.40); OR(95%CI):0.51(0.47,0.56)], sleep latency > 30  [OR(95%CI):1.14(1.07,1.22); 0.88(0.83,0.94)], poor sleep quality [OR(95%CI):1.21(1.13,1.30); 0.80(0.76,0.85)] and insomnia [OR(95%CI):1.12(1.04,1.20); 0.89(0.84,0.95)], respectively, increased and decreased. We found a dose-response association of evening eating (clock time and TEM) with sleep duration. The shortest latency was seen when evening eating was at ∼ 8 PM and ∼ 7 to 8 hours before the midpoint of sleep. Participants who reported dinner as their largest meal and consumed caffeine and/or sugary foods/beverages after 6 PM presented higher odds of sleep duration < 7 hours, poor sleep quality, and insomnia.

Conclusions Our findings indicate that an early-eating schedule has beneficial sleep effects and that it will be necessary to consider evening eating patterns and timing, along with sleep and circadian hygiene, to improve sleep quality and circadian health.

Keywords

meals - circadian rhythm - chrononutrition - sleep - sleep deprivation

Author Contributions

Maria Eduarda Bezerra Nunes: Conceptualization; data curation; formal analysis; investigation; methodology; supervision; validation; roles/writing - original draft; writing - review & editing.


Caio Henrique Barros dos Santos: Conceptualization; data curation; formal analysis; investigation; methodology; supervision; validation; roles/writing - original draft; writing - review & editing.


Márcia de Oliveira Lima: Conceptualization; data curation; formal analysis; investigation; methodology; supervision; validation; roles/writing - original draft; writing - review & editing.


Anny Kariny Pereira Pedrosa: Methodology; roles/writing - original draft; writing - review & editing.


Risia Cristina Egito de Menezes: Methodology; roles/writing - original draft; writing - review & editing.


Giovana Longo-Silva: Conceptualization; data curation; formal analysis; investigation; methodology; project administration; supervision; validation; visualization; roles/writing - original draft; writing - review & editing.




Publication History

Received: 14 August 2023

Accepted: 13 December 2023

Article published online:
23 February 2024

© 2024. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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