Page 65 - JCBP-3-1

Journal of Clinical and

Basic Psychosomatics

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Impact of protein consumption on sleep

problems: Insights from NHANES data

2
1
1
Chenxi Zhang * , Yan Xu 1 , Weimin Li , Qianyun Wu , Bingnan Hou ,
1
3
1
Qiguang Li , and Bin Zhang *
1 Department of Psychiatry, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University; Center of Sleep
Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
2 College of Computer, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
3 Department of Psychiatry, Xi’an Mental Health Center, Xi’ an, Shaanxi, China
Abstract

Sleep problems are common and significantly impact health and well-being. Diet,
particularly protein intake, may affect sleep, yet the precise relationship remains
unclear. This study investigates the association between protein consumption and
sleep problems while considering potential confounders and gender differences,
using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Our cross-
sectional analysis included 18,077 women (51.3%) and 17,175 men (48.7%),
averaging 45.9 years (standard deviation = 17.7). Protein consumption was assessed
*Corresponding authors: through 24-h dietary recall interviews and sleep problems were assessed through
Chenxi Zhang the question: “Have you ever told a doctor or other health professional that you have
(zhangchx@smu.edu.cn)
Bin Zhang trouble sleeping?” Using binary logistic regression models, we found that 24.6% of
(zhang73bin@hotmail.com) individuals reported sleep problems. A statistically significant association emerged
Citation: Zhang C, Xu Y, Li W, between protein consumption and the likelihood of experiencing sleep problems
Wu Q, Hou B, Li Q, Zhang B. across quartiles of protein intake. Specifically, individuals in the highest quartile of
Impact of protein consumption protein consumption had the lowest odds of sleep problems compared to those in
on sleep problems: Insights
from NHANES data. J Clin Basic the lowest quartile, even after adjusting for various demographic and lifestyle factors
Psychosom. 2025;3(1):59-67. (P < 0.001). Gender-stratified analysis revealed a persistent association between
doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4148 protein intake and sleep problems, with a stronger effect observed in females (P <
Received: July 4, 2024 0.002) compared to males (P = 0.337). Overall, our findings suggest that higher protein
consumption is independently associated with reduced odds of sleep problems. This
Revised: August 9, 2024
underscores the importance of adequate protein intake for promoting better sleep
Accepted: August 23, 2024 outcomes and highlights potential implications for public health interventions and
Published Online: November 8, clinical practice.
2024
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). Keywords: Protein; Sleep; Sleep problem; Diet; High protein diet
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, 1. Introduction
provided the original work is
properly cited. Sleep problems, including difficulties with sleep initiation, maintenance, or overall sleep
1
Publisher’s Note: AccScience quality, are prevalent issues affecting individuals worldwide. In addition to negatively
Publishing remains neutral with impacting daily functioning and quality of life, sleep problems have been related to various
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional adverse health consequences, such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and
2,3
affiliations. mental health disorders. Given the substantial burden of sleep problems on public

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 59 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4148