Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Score and Its Association with Sleep Quality in a National Survey of Middle-Aged and Older Men and Women

Abstract

Complex processes appear to link sleep duration and quality with dietary patterns. Numerous studies show healthful benefits of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, but few have examined its association with sleep duration or quality. The current study tested cross-sectional associations of DASH diet quality score with sleep quality among adults. Analyses of participants were from the 2005–2008 wave of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (n = 3941 adults ≥30 years of age, complete data). We performed sex- and age group-stratified multiple OLS regression analyses with DASH total score and components as main predictors and sleep quality as main outcomes, adjusting sequentially for socio-demographic, behavioral and health-related factors. Sex and age differences in associations of DASH with sleep quality, adjusting for covariates, were also examined by incorporating two-way interaction terms between sex/age and the DASH score in each unstratified model. We found that the DASH diet score was inversely related to poor sleep-related daytime dysfunction adjusted by age, sex, demographic and socio-economic factors. Some sex-specific associations were detected between DASH diet component scores and sleep quality. Notably, the potassium DASH component was inversely associated with Factor 1 (“sleepiness and sleep disturbance”) among women. The fiber DASH component was associated with better sleep quality and inversely related to Factor 2 (“sleep-related daytime dysfunction”) in younger subjects. This study indicates health benefits of the DASH diet for sleep duration and quality. Future longitudinal studies and randomized placebo-controlled trials are required to ascertain protective effects.

The Association between Diet Quality Scores with Sleep Quality among Employees: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Similar to our study, Liang et al In a study of 3941 American adults found that following a dash diet could effectively improve sleep quality and sleep duration( 22 ). Also, similar to our study, Mossavar-Rahmani in a study of 2,140 Spanish adults found that increasing the Healthy Eating Index effectively increased sleep duration and sleep efficiency( 23 ).…”

“…Kurotani et al And Cao Y et al Showed that consumption of vegetables, fruits and legumes is associated with better sleep quality( 28 ). Liang et al Also found that reduced consumption of vegetables, nuts, and legumes was associated with reduced sleep duration( 22 ). Other studies also confirm that consumption of fruits and vegetables is directly related to sleep duration and sleep quality( 24 ).…”

“…Other anti-inflammatory agents that have been shown to be effective in improving quality and sleep time include potassium, fiber, and calcium( 22 , 28 ).…”

The Role of Problematic Smartphone Uses and Psychological Distress in the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Chinese College Students

“…Many factors may be related to increased risks of EDs, and several are especially prevalent for students in the stage of emerging adulthood (18-26 years old). Sleep abnormality may have an effect through impacting physical and mental wellbeing (13)(14)(15)(16), along with fluctuations of several hormones such as cortisol, leptin, melanocortin (1,(17)(18)(19). In addition, problematic smartphone use (PSU) and psychological distress such as depression may also affect both sleep quality and EDs.…”

Differences in the Associations Between Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors with Dietary Patterns in Mexican Men and Women.

“…Studies exploring associations between dietary patterns and lifestyle variables are sparse. Previous reports showed associations between unhealthy lifestyles, such as current smokers [31], sedentary behavior [32], or poor sleep [33], with unhealthy diets. Furthermore, a nationally representative study in Mexico showed that the "re ned foods and sweets" pattern had the highest alcohol contribution [4].…”