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Review
. 2020 Aug:34:84-88.
doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.11.003. Epub 2019 Dec 2.

The common denominators of sleep, obesity, and psychopathology

Andrew S Tubbs  1 , Waliuddin Khader  2 , Fabian Fernandez  3 , Michael A Grandner  4
Affiliations
Review

The common denominators of sleep, obesity, and psychopathology

Andrew S Tubbs et al. Curr Opin Psychol. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Sleep is an important contributor to mental and physical health. Insomnia, nightmares, and other sleep disturbances are closely linked to depression, anxiety, weight gain, diabetes, and progression of cardiometabolic disease. The high comorbidity between sleep problems, obesity, and mental illness suggest that common mechanisms are at work between them. This review discusses the presence of bivariate relations between sleep, obesity, and psychopathology, as well as the limited evidence suggesting interactions among all three. While the review identifies obstructive sleep apnea, food intake, and inflammation as potential linking mechanisms, the dearth of current literature limits strong conclusions. More data is needed to evaluate the potential moderating/mediating influences between sleep, obesity, and mental health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement

MG reports consulting for Fitbit, Natrol, Curaegis, Thrive Global, NightFood, Merck, and SPV, and Grants from Kemin Foods, Nexalin Technologies, and Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

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      In assessing 26 different meta-analyes of risk factors and 46 meta-analyses of nonsurgical or pharmacological interventions, this review summarizes the state of the science on risk factors for obesity. Of note, depression was the only factor with convincing evidence, while short sleep duration had highly suggestive evidence.