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Intermittent fasting during R amadan: does it affect sleep?
Author(s) -
BaHammam Ahmed S.,
Almushailhi Khalid,
PandiPerumal Seithikurippu R.,
Sharif Munir M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of sleep research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2869
pISSN - 0962-1105
DOI - 10.1111/jsr.12076
Subject(s) - intermittent fasting , medicine , sleep onset latency , polysomnography , sleep (system call) , sleep deprivation , sleep onset , body mass index , multiple sleep latency test , excessive daytime sleepiness , psychology , sleep disorder , circadian rhythm , apnea , insomnia , psychiatry , computer science , operating system
Summary Islamic intermittent fasting is distinct from regular voluntary or experimental fasting. We hypothesised that if a regimen of a fixed sleep–wake schedule and a fixed caloric intake is followed during intermittent fasting, the effects of fasting on sleep architecture and daytime sleepiness will be minimal. Therefore, we designed this study to objectively assess the effects of Islamic intermittent fasting on sleep architecture and daytime sleepiness. Eight healthy volunteers reported to the Sleep Disorders Centre on five occasions for polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests: (1) during adaptation; (2) 3 weeks before R amadan, after having performed I slamic fasting for 1 week (baseline fasting); (3) 1 week before R amadan (non‐fasting baseline); (4) 2 weeks into R amadan ( R amadan); and (5) 2 weeks after R amadan (non‐fasting; Recovery). Daytime sleepiness was assessed using the E pworth S leepiness S cale and the multiple sleep latency test. The participants had a mean age of 26.6 ± 4.9 years, a body mass index of 23.7 ± 3.5 kg m −2 and an E pworth S leepiness S cale score of 7.3 ± 2.7. There was no change in weight or the E pworth S leepiness S cale in the four study periods. The rapid eye movement sleep percentage was significantly lower during fasting. There was no difference in sleep latency, non‐rapid eye movement sleep percentage, arousal index and sleep efficiency. The multiple sleep latency test analysis revealed no difference in the sleep latency between the ‘non‐fasting baseline’, ‘baseline fasting’, ‘ R amadan’ and ‘ R ecovery’ time points. Under conditions of a fixed sleep–wake schedule and a fixed caloric intake, Islamic intermittent fasting results in decreased rapid eye movement sleep with no impact on other sleep stages, the arousal index or daytime sleepiness.