0411 Association Between Healthy Dietary Patterns and Self-Reported Sleep Disturbances in Older Men

Abstract

Introduction: Ageing is often accompanied by an increased prevalence of sleep problems. Healthy lifestyle choices, including diet, are especially important to mitigate such impairments. To date, little is known about how dietary patterns may link to measures of sleep quality in older subjects. Therefore, we investigated in a Swedish older male population, whether adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) or the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI; based on recommendations from the World Health Organization) is linked to a decrease in sleep disturbances. Methods: We studied 970 men (age: 71 ± 1yr) from the ULSAM dataset. Sleep initiation or maintenance problems were evaluated by self-reporting questionnaires. Dietary intake was recorded with a precoded seven-day food diary. To calculate the adherence scores, intake of dietary components was assessed. Traditional MD components included fat quality, vegetables, fruits, cereals, fish, meat, dairy, and alcohol. The HDI components included saturated-, polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates, sucrose, fiber, fruits and vegetables, cholesterol, and fish. Reasonable dietary reporting was calculated to identify possible under- or over-reporters. Results: When adjusted for potential confounders, no associations between dietary scores and sleep parameters were found. In contrast, low consumption of dairy products -one of the dietary features of the MD -was associated with better subjective sleep initiation. This association was, however, not found in men with adequate reports of daily energy intake (∼54% of the cohort). Conclusion: Our findings do not suggest that older men can mitigate perceived sleep problems by adhering to the MD or HDI. Whether low consumption of dairy products can facilitate sleep initiation must be confirmed in future studies by utilizing objective measures of sleep, such as polysomnography. Finally, when investigating associations between dietary patterns and sleep, particular attention should be paid to the potential confounder of inadequate reporting of energy intake.