Sleep Pathologies and Eating Disorders: A Crossroad for Neurology, Psychiatry and Nutrition

Abstract

The intricate connection between eating behaviors and sleep habits is often overlooked in clinical practice, despite their profound interdependence. Sleep plays a key role in modulating psychological, hormonal and metabolic balance and exerting an influence on food choices. Conversely, various eating disorders may affect sleep continuity, sometimes promoting the development of sleep pathologies. Neurologists, nutritionists and psychiatrists tend to focus on these issues separately, resulting in a failure to recognize the full extent of the clinical conditions. This detrimental separation can lead to underestimation, misdiagnosis and inappropriate therapeutic interventions. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the tangled relationship between sleep, sleep pathologies and eating disorders, by incorporating the perspective of sleep experts, psychologists and psychiatrists. Our goal is to identify a practical crossroad integrating the expertise of all the involved specialists.

From Mind to Plate to Pillow: Examining the Interplay of Mental Health, Eating Disorders, and Sleep Quality

“…This is particularly crucial as diverging hypotheses exist regarding the directionalities and mechanisms underlying these associations. Some theories propose that mental health disorders precipitate disordered eating and sleep disturbances [9], while others suggest that alterations in eating patterns or poor sleep quality serve as precursors to mental health issues [10].…”