Losing sleep by staying up late leads adolescents to consume more carbohydrates and a higher glycemic load

Abstract

This study examined how short sleep impacts dietary consumption in adolescents by testing whether experimentally shortening sleep influences the amount, macronutrient content, food types, and timing of food consumed. Ninety-three adolescents completed a within-subjects crossover paradigm comparing five nights of short sleep (6.5-hour sleep opportunity) to five nights of Healthy Sleep (9.5-hour sleep opportunity). Within each condition, adolescents completed three multiple-pass dietary recalls that recorded the types, amount, and timing of food intake. The following outcomes were averaged across days of dietary recall within condition: kilocalories, grams of carbohydrates, fat, protein, and added sugars, glycemic load of foods, and servings of specific types of foods (low-calorie drinks, sweetened drinks, fruits/vegetables, meats/proteins, processed snacks, “fast food” entrees, grains, and sweets/desserts). Timing of consumption of kilocalorie and macronutrient outcomes were also examined across four noncumulative time bins: 06:00–10:59, 11:00–15:59, 16:00–20:59, and 21:00–01:00. Adolescents slept 2 h and 20 min longer in Healthy Sleep than in Short Sleep (p < .0001). While in Short Sleep, adolescents ate more grams of carbohydrates (p = .031) and added sugars (p = .047), foods higher in glycemic load (p = .013), and servings of sweet drinks (p = .023) and ate fewer servings of fruits/vegetables (p = .006) compared to Healthy Sleep. Differences in consumption of kilocalories, fat, and carbohydrates emerged after 9:00 pm (ps = .012, .043, .006, respectively). These experimental findings suggest that adolescents who have insufficient sleep exhibit dietary patterns that may increase the risk for negative weight and cardiometabolic outcomes. Future health promotion efforts should include promoting optimal sleep to increase healthy dietary habits.

Sex-Based Differences in Factors Associated With Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Korean High School Students

“…In a study conducted with adolescents in the USA, a sleep duration of <8 h was associated with a 1.4–1.5-fold increase in SSB consumption (excluding energy drinks) and a 1.1–2.3-fold increase in energy drink consumption to prevent sleepiness ( 9 , 24 ). Similarly, average sleep duration of 6.5 h for five nights significantly increased carbohydrate- and sugar intake among adolescents as compared to an average sleep duration of 9.5 h for five nights ( 25 ). These results may be associated with increased neuronal activation in response to eating food (including calorie-dense foods like SSBs and snacks with added sugar) following sleep deprivation ( 26 ).…”

“…These results may be associated with increased neuronal activation in response to eating food (including calorie-dense foods like SSBs and snacks with added sugar) following sleep deprivation ( 26 ). Thus, Duraccio et al ( 25 ) supposed that sleep dissatisfaction may foster unhealthy dietary habits, facilitating sugar intake. Korean high school students tend to have longer wake duration (with an average sleep duration of 6 h 3 min per day) ( 27 ), owing to excessive competition for college entrance exams ( 28 ).…”

Sleep duration and timing are prospectively linked with insulin resistance during late adolescence

“…A large body of evidence now shows that insufficient sleep duration and late sleep timing among children and adolescents are associated with higher caloric intake [39, 40], especially calories from carbohydrates [41, 42] and sugar‐sweetened beverages [39–42]. These sleep characteristics have also been associated with lower fruit and vegetable intake [41]. Moreover, each of these dietary factors has been associated with IR [43–46].…”

The impact of experimentally shortened sleep on timing of eating occasions in adolescents: A brief report

“…Poor sleep has been linked with increased risk for several physical and mental health disorders (Illingworth, 2020), including increased obesity risk in adolescents (Duraccio et al, 2019). The mechanisms underlying the relationship between poor sleep and increased obesity risk remain unclear, but there is evidence that sleep restriction worsens dietary quality (Duraccio et al, 2019), particularly in the evening (Duraccio et al, 2022). In youth, eating later in the day and across a longer span of time during the day is associated with increased risk for obesity (Eng et al, 2009), and adults undergoing experimental sleep restriction have been shown to shift their meal timing to later hours (Spaeth et al, 2013).…”