Can the relationship between overweight/obesity and sleep quality be explained by affect and behaviour?

Area of Science:

• Sleep science
• Obesity research
• Behavioral medicine

Background:

• Sleep impairment is a known consequence of overweight and obesity.
• The relationship between weight and sleep can be influenced by demographics, mood, and behaviors such as night eating.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between body weight and sleep quality.
• To control for the effects of affect and common behaviors (night-eating, insufficient exercise, alcohol, and electronic device use) on the weight-sleep relationship.

Main Methods:

• 161 overweight, obese, and normal-weight participants completed online questionnaires and underwent objective measurements of height, weight, waist, and hip circumference.
• Sleep quality, night-eating, physical activity, alcohol use, electronic device use, anxiety, and depression were assessed at baseline and 3 months.
• Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the predictive power of weight measures on sleep quality, controlling for demographics and covariates.

Main Results:

• High body-mass-index (BMI) predicted sleep disturbances at baseline and lower sleep efficiency at 3 months, independent of other factors.
• Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and obesity category did not predict sleep quality.
• Night-eating, alcohol use, electronic device use, and affective symptoms (anxiety, depression) were related to or predicted sleep quality.

Conclusions:

• A person's weight may impact sleep quality independently of their behaviors and affect.
• Co-existing behaviors and affect can also adversely impact sleep quality.