Sleep discontinuity and impaired sleep continuity affect transition to and from obesity over time: results from the Alameda county study.

Aims: To investigate the impact of development in sleep continuity on transition to and from obesity over time.

Method: The study used self-reported sleep and body mass index (BMI) measures from the 1965, 1974, 1983, and 1994 waves of the longitudinal Alameda County Study. Sleep continuity was assessed by a question on whether the participants had any troubles falling or staying asleep. Change in sleep and BMI were estimated from the sleep and BMI questions in 1965 and 1994 respectively. Multinomial regression analyses were used to examine the risk/chance for a transition to and from obesity (BMI >or=30 kg/m(2)) due to development in sleep continuity.

Results: After adjustment for confounding variables, consistent sleep discontinuity both increases the risk for a transition to obesity and reduces the chance of losing weight, whereas impaired sleep continuity lowers the chance for weight loss. Effects for obesity were non-significant for those with improved sleep continuity.

Conclusions: Consistent sleep discontinuity and impaired sleep continuity increases the risk of transition to obesity or of remaining obese.