A Time to Rest, a Time to Dine: Sleep, Time-Restricted Eating, and Cardiometabolic Health

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses a serious health and economic burden worldwide. Modifiable lifestyle factors are a focus of research into reducing the burden of CVD, with diet as one of the most investigated factors. Specifically, the timing and regularity of food intake is an emerging research area, with approaches such as time-restricted eating (TRE) receiving much attention. TRE involves shortening the time available to eat across the day and is associated with improved CVD outcomes compared with longer eating windows. However, studies that have examined TRE have not considered the impact of sleep on CVD outcomes despite recent evidence showing that sleep duration can influence the timing and amount of food eaten. In this article, we argue that as TRE and sleep influence each other, and influence the same cardiometabolic parameters, experiencing inadequate sleep may attenuate any positive impact TRE has on CVD. We examine the relationship between TRE and CVD, with sleep as a potential mediator in this relationship, and propose a research agenda to investigate this relationship. This will provide necessary evidence to inform future interventions aimed at reducing the burden of CVD.

Automated summary

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health and economic burden globally. Diet, particularly the timing and regularity of food intake, is a heavily researched factor in reducing CVD burden. Time-restricted eating (TRE) has gained attention for its potential benefits in improving CVD outcomes. However, the impact of sleep on these outcomes has not been considered in studies on TRE. This article argues that inadequate sleep may attenuate the positive effects of TRE on CVD and proposes a research agenda to investigate the relationship between TRE, sleep, and CVD.