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Updated: May 24, 2026

Intermittent Binge-Intake Model in Mice
Published on: January 10, 2025
Sleep problems are associated with binge eating in women
Sara E Trace1, Laura M Thornton, Cristin D Runfola
1Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA.
Objective:
We examined the association among current self-reported sleep problems, lifetime binge eating (BE), and current obesity in women from the Swedish Twin study of Adults: Genes and Environment.
Method:
Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate these associations in 3,790 women aged 20-47 years.
Results:
BE was reported by 244 (6.4%) women and was positively associated with not getting enough sleep (p < .015), sleeping poorly (p < .001), problems falling asleep (p < .001), feeling sleepy during work or free time (p < .001), and disturbed sleep (p < .001). These same sleep variables, as well as napping and being a night person, were also significantly associated with obesity. The associations between BE and sleep remained after accounting for obesity.
Discussion:
This investigation offers empirical support for an independent association between sleep problems and BE, which is likely due to complex psychological, biological, neuroendocrine, and metabolic factors.
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