Abstract
Background
Sleep problems are known to compound the negative effects of other health issues, such as eating disorders and the associated behavior of binge eating. Previous studies suggested associations between binge eating and sleep problems, but the strength of the relationship is unknown.
Methods
We conducted a systematic review with meta-analyses examining the relationship between binge eating and sleep parameters. We searched for studies in Scopus, PubMed, and PsycInfo. The quality of evidence, including risk of bias, was assessed with adaptations of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Quasi-Experimental Studies, depending on study design. Data was synthesized as the difference in sleep between people who did or did not have binge eating.
Results
Thirty-one reports of studies met our eligibility criteria. Results are presented in 12 meta-analyses. In the 7 reports of studies (with 4448 participants) that assessed poor overall sleep quality, we found poorer overall sleep quality in people with binge eating compared to people without binge eating, with a standardized mean difference of 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61–0.92; P < 0.001), which is a large effect size. In addition, we found evidence that people with binge eating had significantly greater hypersomnia/daytime sleepiness (7 reports of studies with 4370 participants), insomnia (5 reports of studies with 12,733 participants), and difficulty falling asleep (3 reports of studies with 4089 participants) compared to people without binge eating, with moderate effect sizes (standardized mean differences of 0.57–0.66).
Conclusions
People with binge eating exhibit poorer overall sleep quality compared to people without binge eating, and may also exhibit greater hypersomnia/daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and difficulty falling asleep. It is recommended that healthcare professionals routinely screen for poor overall sleep quality when treating people with binge eating—and address sleep difficulties when present.
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Data availability
Data collected and used in this review can be requested from the corresponding author.
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Acknowledgements
Felipe Quinto da Luz, Léo Guarnieri, Luisa Pascoareli, and Renatha El Rafihi-Ferreira are supported by Young Investigator Grants, Fellowships, and/or Scholarships from the São Paulo Research Foundation—FAPESP (2018/18028-2, 2019/14622-0, 2020/04220-9, 2018/19506-5, 2019/25537-3, 2020/10748-6). Amanda Sainsbury is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia via a Senior Research Fellowship (1135897). ZS is the recipient of an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.
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Contributions
FQdL, AS, and RERF were responsible for designing the review protocol. FQdL and AS were responsible for writing the report. LPG, LP conducted the search, screened potentially eligible studies, and extracted data. FQdL and RERF extracted data for the meta-analyses. ZS conducted the meta-analyses. PH, TC, and CMM provided feedback on the report. All authors read and approved the final paper.
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Competing interests
AS and ZS own 50% each of the shares in Zuman International, a company which receives royalties and other payments for educational resources and services about adult weight management and research methodology. AS has also received presentation fees and travel reimbursements from Eli Lilly and Co, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Novo Nordisk, the Dietitians Association of Australia, Shoalhaven Family Medical Centres, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and Metagenics, and served on the Nestlé Health Science Optifast VLCD advisory board from 2016 to 2018. PH receives/has received sessional fees and lecture fees from the Australian Medical Council, Therapeutic Guidelines publication, and HETI New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry and royalties/honoraria from Hogrefe and Huber, McGraw Hill Education, and Blackwell Scientific Publications, Biomed Central and PlosMedicine and she has received research grants from the NHMRC and ARC. She is Chair of the National Eating Disorders Collaboration Steering Committee in Australia (2012-) and was Member of the ICD-11 Working Group for Eating Disorders (2012–2019) and was Chair Clinical Practice Guidelines Project Working Group (Eating Disorders) of RANZCP (2012–2015). She has prepared a report under contract for Shire Pharmaceuticals in regard to Binge Eating Disorder (July 2017) and consulting fees for education of doctors from Takeda Pharmaceuticals. All views in this paper are her own. CM has research contracts with Eisai, Idorsia, Lallemand Health Consulting, and is an advisor for Eisai, Idorsia, Pear Therapeutics, and Sunovion.
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da Luz, F.Q., Sainsbury, A., Salis, Z. et al. A systematic review with meta-analyses of the relationship between recurrent binge eating and sleep parameters. Int J Obes 47, 145–164 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01250-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01250-9
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