Mediterranean diet adherence and sleep pattern: a systematic review of observational studies

While extensive research exists on how diet affects sleep patterns, the results remain inconsistent. This study aimed to consolidate existing research on how closely following a Mediterranean diet (MD) influences sleep. Conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a thorough search was carried out across PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies published up to February 2023, with no limits on language or publication date. After removing duplicates, observational studies focusing on MD as the primary factor and various sleep disorders as the outcome were selected. The review included 20 observational studies, comprising two cohorts and 18 cross-sectional studies, with a total of 21,714 participants. Dietary intake was determined using validated Food Frequency and diet history questionnaires, though some studies did not specify their methods for assessing dietary habits. MD adherence was measured using various tools, including the KIDMED questionnaire, PREMED, alternate Mediterranean (aMed) questionnaire, MEDAS questionnaire, MedDietScore, MEDI-LITE score, modified Mediterranean Diet Score (mMDS), Mediterranean food pattern (MFP), and modified Mediterranean diet score (mMED). The assessed sleep patterns encompassed a range of factors, such as sleep quality, duration, latency, efficacy, sleepiness, disturbances, napping habits, and other disorders. Ultimately, the compiled research underscores the positive impact of MD consumption on improving sleep quality. [NPID: Mediterranean Diet, sleep, sleep disorders, dietary intake, sleep quality]

Year: 2024

Reference: Fallah, M., Aminianfar, A., & Esmaillzadeh, A. (2024). Mediterranean diet adherence and sleep pattern: a systematic review of observational studies. BMC nutrition, 10(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-024-00853-x

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