Sleep and Food Choice in a Dutch Student Population.
BACKGROUND
The increased risk of obesity among short sleepers is most likely explained by increased energy intake. However, food intake could not only be altered quantitavely but also qualitatively. Therefore, we performed a correlational analysis on self-reported food intake and sleep in 51 students from Maastricht and surroundings.


RESULTS
Students that slept longer had a lower caloric intake: ρ = -0.378, p = 0.006, the amount of calories consumed per minute awake remaining relatively stable. However, sleep duration did not correlate with intake of percentage fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates or protein. Average energy intake during the reported breakfasts, lunches, dinners or snacks separately did also not correlate with total sleep time.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems that shorter sleep correlates with absolute caloric intake, but not with the intake of specific dietary components.
Dept. of Anaesthesiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Cathalijn H C
CH
Leenaars
Dept. of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology / Alzheimer Center Limburg, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Inge P M
IP
Klinkenberg
Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Audrey
A
Aussems
Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Nedim
N
Borger
Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Vivian
V
Faatz
Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Anneloes
A
Hak
Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Ellen
E
Houben
Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Joyce
J
Ramackers
Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Daphne
D
Snackers
Dept. of Hypothalamic Integration Mechanisms, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105BA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dept. of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam (UvA), Meibergdreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Andries
A
Kalsbeek
carbohydrates; fat; food diary; protein; sleep diary