Exploring Sleep, Energy Balance, and Weight Loss Maintenance After Bariatric Surgery in Adult Females: A...

This cross-sectional study examined associations between sleep, body weight, body composition, appetite, and food reward after bariatric surgery.

A single 7-day study period in 22 female adults (age, 53.5 ± 9.3 years; BMI, 35.5 ± 8.5 kg/m²; body fat: 44.9% ± 8.6%) who underwent bariatric surgery ≥ 1 year prior to enrollment assessed: actigraphy-measured sleep (duration, efficiency, midpoint, and variability [coefficient of variation]) and activity energy expenditure (AEE); sleep architecture and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) via in-home polysomnography; energy intake via food diaries; resting EE via indirect calorimetry; fasting appetite via visual analog scales; and food reward via Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire.

Weight regain was 10.6% relative to nadir postsurgery weight. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration was associated with lower body fat percentage (r = -0.52, p = 0.02). Participants with AHI ≥ 5 had a greater waist to hip ratio compared to those with AHI < 5 (mean difference = 0.09, p = 0.01). Sleep timing and duration variability was associated with fasting prospective food consumption (r = 0.44, p = 0.05 and r = 0.47, p = 0.03, respectively). Greater sleep duration was associated with lower AEE (r = -0.62, p < 0.01) and explicit liking for sweet foods (r = 0.45, p = 0.04).

Our exploratory results underscore the need to evaluate whether sleep behaviors, including total and REM sleep duration, AHI, and sleep regularity, predict long-term weight loss maintenance after bariatric surgery.