Effects of acute and chronic sleep deprivation on eating behaviour

Background Experimental studies consistently demonstrate that acute sleep deprivation increases food consumption. Moreover, epidemiological studies and meta-analyses show that children with short sleep have twice the probability of suffering from obesity than normal sleepers. Similar results are reported in adolescents, while in adults results are heterogeneous. Habitual sleep patterns, however, have not been taken into account to date, yet they may explain this heterogeneity. This study aimed to test the effects of a night of partial sleep deprivation on food intake by comparing a group of individuals reporting symptoms of chronic insomnia with a group of individuals reporting good sleep, matched for age and gender. Method Breakfast intake of 32 participants was unobtrusively measured after a night of partial sleep deprivation and after a night of habitual sleep. Results Results found that only good sleepers increased food intake at increasing level of body mass index (BMI) after sleep deprivation. Conclusions As only good sleepers showed the consequences of sleep deprivation, habitual sleep and habitual eating patterns should be considered in explanations of how long-term sleep deprivation may affect eating behaviour and BMI in adults.