Study Finds Poor Sleep Affects Diets of Couples

The study examined 204 couples living together in Canada over three months, where both partners reported their sleep and dietary habits at intervals. Participants, averaging 42 years old, included at least one partner with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, indicating they were overweight or obese. Nearly 96% of them were actively attempting to change their diets. Despite a modest improvement in diet quality, sleep quality remained largely unchanged.

Corresponding author Jean-Philippe Gouin noted that individuals with sleep-deprived partners expressed less confidence in their dietary choices, often leading to reduced efforts to eat healthily. The sleep-deprived partner was more likely to introduce unhealthy, calorie-dense foods, such as snacks and sweets, which negatively influenced their partner's diet.

The findings also highlighted gender differences; women generally reported healthier diets and greater efforts to maintain dietary goals than men. However, the study found no significant difference in how one partner’s sleep affected the other's dietary habits based on gender.

While the study suggests a correlation between poor sleep and unhealthy eating, the researchers caution that it does not establish causation. They recommend future research utilize objective measures of both sleep and dietary behaviors. They suggest that interventions aimed at improving sleep might be beneficial if treated as a couple's shared concern, as this could enhance both partners' efforts to maintain healthier diets.

This study was led by PhD candidate Maegan Dymarski, with contributions from researchers at the University of British Columbia, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, and McGill University, and was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

The paper is titled "Dyadic associations between sleep quality, diet-related self-regulation, and diet quality in couples."