A systematic review with meta-analyses of the relationship between recurrent binge eating and sleep parameters

Abstract

Background: Sleep problems are known to compound the negative effects of other health issues, such as eating disorders and the associated behaviour 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 synthesised 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 to 0.92; P < 0.001), which is a large effect size. Additionally, 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 12733 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 to 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.

Sleep is the best medicine: assessing sleep, disordered eating, and weight-related functioning

“…In addition to the relatively high incidence of poor sleep quality, noteworthy findings include the relationship between sleep quality and disordered eating within a purely community sample. The current results align with a recent meta-analysis that binge eating was specifically related to worse sleep [24] but also expand to other related symptoms that may be more widespread, including overall eating psychopathology, loss of control eating, and subjective binge episodes. Yeh & Brown [27] found people with overweight and obesity reported delayed sleep onset and reduced sleep duration.…”

“…The literature suggests relationships between different forms of disordered eating diagnoses (e.g., anorexia nervosa) and poor sleep [18]. Da Luz and authors conducted a systematic review [24] of studies including clinical and community participants with binge eating behaviors, finding that participants with binge eating behaviors exhibited poorer sleep quality compared to participants with no binge eating patterns; however, the authors did caution lack of validated sleep measures as a limitation within the literature. In a clinical sample of individuals with loss of control eating following weight-loss surgery, participants completed measures of sleep quality, disordered eating, health-related quality of life, and physical and mental health functioning [23].…”

Engagement in binge eating and fasting associated with poorer sleep quality in an online sample of adults

“…The finding that objective binge eating is significantly related to sleep quality aligns with the conclusions of a recent meta-analysis which found that people who engage in binge eating reported substantially worse sleep quality compared to those who do not engage in binge eating [ 16 ]. It is plausible that certain behavioral features of binge eating contribute to worse sleep quality.…”

“…Recent literature reviews and a meta-analysis have supported the empirical link between sleep and disordered eating behaviors [ 14 – 16 ]. The nature of this relationship is likely bidirectional, such that sleep disturbance increases the risk of disordered eating behavior and, in turn, disordered eating behavior increases the risk of disturbed sleep [ 17 ].…”

A Systematic Review of Studies Examining Associations between Sleep Characteristics with Dietary Intake and Eating Behaviors during Pregnancy

“…Sleep seems to also play an important role in eating disorders, including BED [86] and BED. For example, a systematic review by da Luz et al (2023) [87] found that people who binge eat exhibit poorer overall sleep quality compared to people who do not binge eat, and may have more daytime sleepiness, insomnia, and difficulty falling asleep. BED has even been proposed as a possible circadian disorder [88].…”