Relationship between sleep and hedonic appetite in shift workers

Since poor sleep and disturbed circadian rhythm may contribute to excessive food consumption, Vidafar et al. (2020) propose that these 2 factors may also explain the higher risk of obesity found in shift workers. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between sleep characteristics and hedonic (pleasure-related) control of appetite in shift workers. An online survey was completed by the 63 shift workers (average age 36.6) that participated in this experiment. Weight change after starting shift work was reported by 71% of the whole sample population, while 84% of these people admitted gaining weight since taking up shift work (average weight gained: 11.3kg). Other notable findings include the increased food cravings associated with poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep duration. Moreover, poorer sleep quality and hygiene were both linked with increased motivation to eat palatable foods (greater hedonic drive). The results of this preliminary study have suggested that hedonic pathways may play a role in weight gain in shift workers with disturbed sleep. [NPIDs: insomnia, sleep, sleep quality, sleep duration, obesity, shift work, night shift, appetite control, hedonic drive]

Year: 2020

Reference: Vidafar, P., Cain, S. W., & Shechter, A. (2020). Relationship between Sleep and Hedonic Appetite in Shift Workers. Nutrients, 12(9), 2835. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092835