Researchers studied over 3,200 people to see if sleep-disordered breathing (a condition where people stop breathing briefly during sleep) affects what they eat. They found that people with this sleep problem tend to eat less healthily about 8 years later compared to people without sleep issues. The effect was even stronger for people who felt very tired during the day. This suggests that treating sleep problems might help people make better food choices and stay healthier overall.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether people with sleep-disordered breathing (a condition where breathing stops and starts during sleep) eat differently and less healthily over time compared to people without this sleep problem.
  • Who participated: 3,294 adults from different ethnic backgrounds with an average age of 62 years. About half were women. Nearly 30% of the group had some form of sleep-disordered breathing.
  • Key finding: People with sleep-disordered breathing had noticeably lower diet quality scores about 8 years later. Those who also felt very sleepy during the day had the biggest drop in healthy eating (about 1.5 points lower on a diet quality scale), while those without daytime sleepiness had a smaller drop (about 0.8 points lower).
  • What it means for you: If you have sleep problems like snoring or sleep apnea, you may be more likely to eat less healthy foods in the future. Getting your sleep problems treated could potentially help you make better food choices. However, this study shows a connection, not proof that one causes the other.

The Research Details

This was a long-term study that followed the same group of people over time. Researchers first measured who had sleep-disordered breathing by asking about doctor diagnoses and snoring habits. They also asked whether people felt excessively sleepy during the day. Then they looked at what people ate using food questionnaires at the start and about 8 years later. They used a scoring system called the Alternate Healthy Eating Index to measure how healthy people’s diets were, considering things like vegetables, whole grains, and processed foods.

The researchers were careful to account for other factors that might affect diet quality, like age, gender, ethnicity, exercise habits, and what people ate at the beginning of the study. This helps them focus on the connection between sleep problems and diet changes specifically.

The study included people from different ethnic backgrounds, which makes the findings more relevant to different populations. The researchers divided people into three groups: those without sleep problems, those with sleep problems but no daytime sleepiness, and those with sleep problems and daytime sleepiness.

Understanding whether sleep problems affect eating habits is important because both sleep and diet quality impact heart health and disease risk. If sleep problems actually cause people to eat worse, then treating sleep issues could be a way to help people stay healthier overall. This study helps answer that question by following real people over many years rather than just looking at one point in time.

This study has several strengths: it included a large number of people (over 3,200), followed them for a long time (nearly 8 years), included diverse ethnic groups, and carefully adjusted for other factors that could affect results. However, the study relied on people’s memories about their eating habits and sleep problems, which can be less accurate than direct measurements. The differences in diet quality scores, while consistent, were relatively small in real-world terms. The study shows an association but cannot prove that sleep problems directly cause worse eating habits.

What the Results Show

Among the 3,294 participants, about 29.5% had some form of sleep-disordered breathing. When the researchers looked at diet quality scores about 8 years later, people with sleep problems had lower scores than those without sleep problems. The average difference was about 1 point on the diet quality scale.

When they separated people by whether they felt sleepy during the day, both groups with sleep problems had lower diet quality scores. However, the group that felt very sleepy during the day had a bigger drop in diet quality (about 1.5 points lower) compared to those with sleep problems but no daytime sleepiness (about 0.8 points lower).

These differences remained even after the researchers accounted for how healthy people ate at the beginning of the study and other factors like age, exercise, and smoking. This suggests the sleep problem itself, not just other lifestyle factors, was connected to the change in eating habits.

The study found that the connection between sleep problems and diet quality was consistent across the different ethnic groups studied, suggesting this pattern may apply broadly. The fact that daytime sleepiness made the effect stronger suggests that how much the sleep problem bothers someone during the day might matter. However, the difference between the sleepy and non-sleepy groups was not large enough to be statistically certain.

Previous research has shown that both sleep problems and poor diet quality increase the risk of heart disease and other health problems. However, few studies have looked at whether sleep problems actually cause people to eat worse. This study adds to that limited research by showing a connection over a long time period in a diverse group of people. It fits with the idea that sleep and eating habits are connected through how our bodies regulate hunger and energy.

The study relied on people reporting their own sleep problems and eating habits rather than measuring them directly in a lab. People’s memories about what they eat can be inaccurate. The study shows that sleep problems and poor diet quality are connected, but it cannot prove that sleep problems cause worse eating. Other unmeasured factors could explain both the sleep problems and the diet changes. The diet quality differences, while consistent, were relatively small and may not be noticeable in everyday life.

The Bottom Line

If you have symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (loud snoring, gasping for air at night, or excessive daytime sleepiness), talk to your doctor about getting evaluated and treated. Treatment may help you maintain better eating habits. This is a moderate-confidence recommendation based on this study showing an association. Additionally, paying attention to your diet quality is important regardless of sleep status, as both affect your health.

This finding is most relevant for people who snore loudly, have been told they stop breathing during sleep, or feel excessively tired during the day. It’s also important for anyone concerned about their diet quality and long-term health. People with existing heart disease or diabetes should especially consider sleep evaluation. This doesn’t mean people without sleep problems can ignore diet quality—everyone should eat well.

The changes in diet quality happened gradually over about 8 years in this study. If you get treatment for sleep problems, you shouldn’t expect immediate changes in eating habits. However, treating sleep problems might help you have more energy and better focus to make healthy food choices over time. Benefits would likely develop over months to years.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your sleep quality (snoring, daytime sleepiness, sleep interruptions) weekly alongside your diet quality score. Use a simple 1-10 scale for sleep quality and log meals to monitor healthy eating patterns. Look for trends over 4-8 weeks to see if better sleep correlates with better food choices.
  • Set a reminder to evaluate your sleep quality each morning and note any daytime sleepiness. If you notice poor sleep, use the app to plan one extra healthy meal that day (like adding vegetables or whole grains). This creates a positive connection between recognizing sleep issues and making better food choices.
  • Create a monthly dashboard showing sleep quality trends alongside diet quality scores. Set a goal to discuss sleep concerns with your doctor if you notice consistent poor sleep, and track any changes in eating habits after treatment begins. Compare 3-month periods to see longer-term patterns.

This study shows an association between sleep problems and diet quality but does not prove that one causes the other. The findings are based on people’s reports of their sleep and eating habits, which can be less accurate than direct measurements. If you think you have sleep-disordered breathing, consult with a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. Do not use this information to self-diagnose or self-treat sleep conditions. Always speak with your doctor before making significant changes to your diet or sleep habits, especially if you have existing health conditions.