Impact of 8-hour time-limited eating on sleep in adolescents with obesity.

Study Objectives: The relationship between time-limited eating (TLE) and sleep quality is a topic of growing interest in the field of chronobiology. Data in adult cohorts shows that TLE may improve sleep quality, but this has not been evaluated in adolescents. The aim of this secondary analysis was to (1) examine the impact of 8-hour TLE on sleep parameters in youth with obesity and (2) explore if there was any association between sleep patterns and glycemic profiles.

Methods: Adolescents with obesity were randomized into one of three groups: 8-hour TLE (participants self-selected their eating window) + real-time continuous glucose monitor, 8-hour TLE + blinded continuous glucose monitor, or a prolonged eating window. In the primary analysis, it was found that participants in the real-time continuous glucose monitor group + 8-hour TLE group did not access their continuous glucose monitor data and thus for this analysis the two TLE groups were combined and only completers who had available Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) data at all three time points were included. Participants completed the PSQI at baseline, week 4, and week 12. Mixed-effects generalized linear regression models were utilized to examine the change in PSQI score and assess association between glycemic variability and PSQI total score overtime by intervention arm.

Results: The median PSQI total score for the TLE groups (n = 27) was 6 at week 0 (interquartile range = 5 to 10) and 5 at week 12 (interquartile range = 2 to 7). There was no significant difference in the change in total PSQI score or sleep latency between TLE and control over the study period ( > .05). There was no association between PSQI score and change in weight or glycemic profile between groups (all values > 0.05).

Conclusions: These results suggest that in adolescents with obesity, an 8-hour TLE approach did not negatively impact sleep quality or efficiency when compared to a prolonged eating window. The potential effects of TLE on sleep should be further investigated in larger randomized trials.

Citation: Jayakumr A, Gillett ES, Wee CP, Kim A, Vidmar AP. Impact of 8-hour time-limited eating on sleep in adolescents with obesity. . 2023;19(11):1941-1949.