Altering meal timing to improve cognitive performance during simulated nightshifts

Area of Science:

• Chronobiology
• Occupational Health
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Night shift work poses risks to cognitive function and safety.
• Meal timing during night shifts may influence alertness and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of consuming a meal, snack, or no food during a night shift on cognitive performance.
• To compare the effects of different night shift eating patterns on alertness and driving simulation outcomes.

Main Methods:

• 39 healthy participants completed four simulated night shifts under three eating conditions: Meal at Night (MN), Snack at Night (SN), and No Eating at Night (NE).
• Cognitive tests (Psychomotor Vigilance Task, Reaction Time, Running Memory) and a driving simulator were administered at multiple time points.
• Objective sleep was monitored using Actigraphy and Polysomnography.

Main Results:

• The Snack at Night (SN) group demonstrated significantly improved driving simulator performance (safer zone, reduced variability) and cognitive function (fewer lapses, faster reaction times) at 04:00 h compared to MN and NE.
• Participants in the Meal at Night (MN) group reported higher subjective sleepiness at 04:00 h than SN and NE groups.
• No significant differences in objective sleep quality were observed between the eating conditions.

Conclusions:

• Consuming a large meal during a night shift negatively impacts cognitive performance and increases sleepiness.
• Opting for a snack instead of a meal during night shifts can enhance alertness and safety for shiftworkers.
• Meal timing, specifically opting for a snack, is a crucial factor in mitigating performance decrements during night shifts.