Dietary intake, lifestyle behaviors, and sleep architecture among night-shift medical residents: a cross-sectional study

Medical residents are at risk of sleep disturbances due to extended working hours, rotating night shifts, elevated occupational stress, and irregular meal schedules. Although evidence suggests that diet and lifestyle may influence sleep quality and sleep architecture, these relationships remain insufficiently explored among medical residents.

This study aimed to assess dietary intake, lifestyle, physical activity levels, and sleep quality and architecture among medical residents, and to investigate the links between sleep quality and other measures.

This cross-sectional study included 50 medical residents, aged 24-34 years recruited from JUH, Amman, Jordan. Dietary intake was assessed using 3-day food records and analyzed for total energy consumption, macronutrient, fiber, magnesium, and zinc intake. The IPAQ was used to measure physical activity. While the PSQI was used to measure sleep quality, along with objective sleep parameters, including total sleep duration, light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep, and nocturnal awakenings, were measured using a wearable sleep-tracking device over the same 3-day period. Spearman correlation and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Zinc intake was positively associated with deep sleep duration (r = 0.434, p = 0.010). Higher total energy intake (r = 0.367, p = 0.030), carbohydrate intake (r = 0.413, p = 0.014), and dietary fiber intake (r = 0.428, p = 0.010) were positively associated with nocturnal awakenings. In multivariable regression models, more frequent junk food consumption independently predicted longer total sleep duration (β = 19.22, p = 0.026) and longer light sleep duration (β = 13.45, p = 0.042). No significant independent associations were observed between lifestyle factors and PSQI global score.

Dietary intake and lifestyle behaviors appear to be important correlates of sleep duration and sleep architecture among medical residents. Zinc intake was associated with longer deep sleep duration, whereas higher energy, carbohydrate, and fiber intake were associated with greater sleep fragmentation. Frequent junk food consumption was associated with longer sleep duration but also greater light sleep, suggesting poorer sleep architecture. With the prevalence of sleep disturbances among medical residents, nutritional modification may support sleep quality and occupational wellbeing.