Effects of Dinner Timing on Sleep Stage Distribution and EEG Power Spectrum in Healthy Volunteers

Abstract

Eating time and sleep habits are important modifiable behaviors that affect metabolic health, but the relationship between food intake and sleep remains incompletely understood. Observational data suggest that late food intake is associated with impaired sleep quality. We examined the effect of routine dinner (RD, 5 hours before bedtime) vs late dinner (LD, 1 hour before bedtime) on sleep architecture in healthy volunteers. Participants and Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a randomized crossover study of RD vs LD with a fixed sleep opportunity in a laboratory setting. On each of the two visits, 20 healthy adult volunteers (10 women) received an isocaloric meal followed by overnight polysomnography. Sleep architecture over the course of the night was assessed using visual sleep staging and EEG spectral power analysis and was compared between RD and LD. We modeled the proportions of spectral power in alpha, beta, delta, and theta bands as functions of dinner timing, time of night, and their interaction with mixed-effect spline regression. Results: Conventional sleep stages were similar between the 2 visits. LD caused a 2.5% initial increase in delta power and a reciprocal 2.7% decrease in combined alpha and beta power (p<0.0001). These effects diminished as sleep continued with a reversal of these patterns in the latter part of the night. Conclusion: Contrary to the existing literature, shifting dinner timing from 5 hours before sleep to 1 hour before sleep in healthy volunteers did not result in significant adverse changes in overnight sleep architecture. In fact, LD was associated with deeper sleep in the beginning of the night and lighter sleep in the latter part of the night in healthy volunteers. This novel manifestation of postprandial hypersomnia may have therapeutic potential in patients with sleep disorders.

Sleep, Physical Activity, and Diet of Adults during the Second Lockdown of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece

“…Diet is also widely considered an important modifiable factor that has been often proposed to improve sleep duration and quality [ 22 ]. Eating schedules, food intake, and energy balance altered the propensity for sleep and sleep architecture [ 23 ]. Adults consuming proinflammatory diets are more likely to have a short or long sleep duration, and/or self-reported sleep disturbances [ 24 ].…”

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

“…Evidence suggests that the timing of eating, regardless of its composition, may contribute to circadian system misalignment, directly affecting sleep, as well as weight status and metabolic health. [22][23][24][25][26][27] Some observational studies have shown that eating close to bedtime was associated with impaired sleep quality. [22][23][24] On the other hand, a randomized crossover study found that shifting dinner timing from 5 hours before sleep to 1 hour before sleep in healthy volunteers did not result in significant adverse changes in overnight sleep architecture.…”

“…[22][23][24][25][26][27] Some observational studies have shown that eating close to bedtime was associated with impaired sleep quality. [22][23][24] On the other hand, a randomized crossover study found that shifting dinner timing from 5 hours before sleep to 1 hour before sleep in healthy volunteers did not result in significant adverse changes in overnight sleep architecture. 24 It is important to emphasize that one relevant aspect of meal timing studies is to define what a late meal is, 25 and it seems that the clock timing by itself may not be useful to study metabolic alterations related to evening meal timing.…”

“…[22][23][24] On the other hand, a randomized crossover study found that shifting dinner timing from 5 hours before sleep to 1 hour before sleep in healthy volunteers did not result in significant adverse changes in overnight sleep architecture. 24 It is important to emphasize that one relevant aspect of meal timing studies is to define what a late meal is, 25 and it seems that the clock timing by itself may not be useful to study metabolic alterations related to evening meal timing. It is known that the beginning of the biological night, as assessed by melatonin onset under dim light conditions (Dim Light Melatonin Onset; DLMO), may differ between individuals depending on their circadian timing or chronotype.…”

Late evening meal consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors

“…Namely, there was an association between LD consumption and nocturnal metabolic disorders, especially in habitual earlier sleepers. In addition, the same authors examined the effect of RD and LD consumptions on sleep quality (3) . Although there was no significant difference in overnight sleep architecture, LD caused a 2•5 % initial increase in delta power and a reciprocal 2•7 % decrease in combined α and β power, presenting that LD was associated with deeper sleep in the beginning of the night.…”