Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Nov 23;8(11):751.
doi: 10.3390/nu8110751.

Effect of Six-Month Diet Intervention on Sleep among Overweight and Obese Men with Chronic Insomnia Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Xiao Tan  1   2 , Markku Alén  3   4 , Kun Wang  5 , Jarkko Tenhunen  6 , Petri Wiklund  7   8 , Markku Partinen  9 , Sulin Cheng  10   11
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of Six-Month Diet Intervention on Sleep among Overweight and Obese Men with Chronic Insomnia Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Xiao Tan et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Growing evidence suggests that diet alteration affects sleep, but this has not yet been studied in adults with insomnia symptoms. We aimed to determine the effect of a six-month diet intervention on sleep among overweight and obese (Body mass index, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) men with chronic insomnia symptoms. Forty-nine men aged 30-65 years with chronic insomnia symptoms were randomized into diet (n = 28) or control (n = 21) groups. The diet group underwent a six-month individualized diet intervention with three face-to-face counseling sessions and online supervision 1-3 times per week; 300-500 kcal/day less energy intake and optimized nutrient composition were recommended. Controls were instructed to maintain their habitual lifestyle. Sleep parameters were determined by piezoelectric bed sensors, a sleep diary, and a Basic Nordic sleep questionnaire. Compared to the controls, the diet group had shorter objective sleep onset latency after intervention. Within the diet group, prolonged objective total sleep time, improved objective sleep efficiency, lower depression score, less subjective nocturnal awakenings, and nocturia were found after intervention. In conclusion, modest energy restriction and optimized nutrient composition shorten sleep onset latency in overweight and obese men with insomnia symptoms.

Keywords: diet intervention; insomnia symptoms; nutrient; obesity; overweight; sleep; sleep onset.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant flow of the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Daily calorie intake by three-day diet diary at baseline vs. three and six months.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sleep outcomes by piezoelectric system at baseline and six months.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Roth T., Coulouvrat C., Hajak G., Lakoma M.D., Sampson N.A., Shahly V., Shillington A.C., Stephenson J.J., Walsh J.K., Kessler R.C. Prevalence and perceived health associated with insomnia based on DSM-IV-TR; International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision; and Research Diagnostic Criteria/International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Second Edition criteria: Results from the America Insomnia Survey. Biol. Psychiatry. 2011;69:592–600. - PubMed
    1. Pallesen S., Sivertsen B., Nordhus I.H., Bjorvatn B. A 10-year trend of insomnia prevalence in the adult Norwegian population. Sleep Med. 2014;15:173–179. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2013.10.009. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chung K.F., Yeung W.F., Ho F.Y., Yung K.P., Yu Y.M., Kwok C.W. Cross-cultural and comparative epidemiology of insomnia: The Diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM), International classification of diseases (ICD) and International classification of sleep disorders (ICSD) Sleep Med. 2015;16:477–482. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2014.10.018. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lallukka T., Arber S., Rahkonen O., Lahelma E. Complaints of insomnia among midlifeemployed people: The contribution of childhood and present socioeconomic circumstances. Sleep Med. 2010;11:828–836. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2010.04.011. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sivertsen B., Lallukka T., Salo P., Pallesen S., Hysing M., Krokstad S., Øverland S. Insomnia as a risk factor for ill health: Results from the large population-based prospective HUNT Study in Norway. J. Sleep Res. 2014;23:124–132. doi: 10.1111/jsr.12102. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms