Late Sleep and Meal Timing Hypothesized to Promote Positive Energy Balance and Insulin Resistance

Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are global health crises, often linked to lifestyle factors. While sleep duration is a known contributor to metabolic dysfunction, the impact of sleep and meal timing—independent of duration—is less understood. Disruptions to circadian rhythms, which govern sleep-wake cycles and metabolic processes, can impair glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Current interventions often focus on diet composition and exercise, but the temporal organization of these behaviors may represent a critical, yet overlooked, factor in preventing or managing metabolic syndrome and its progression. This study aims to fill that gap by specifically isolating the effects of timing.

This randomized, single-blind study plans to enroll N=12 healthy individuals. Participants will undergo controlled behavioral patterns, comparing a late sleep (Ls) and/or late meal (Lm) condition against a control condition, ensuring equal sleep duration across groups. The primary endpoint will assess differences in subjective feelings of appetite following a breakfast meal, measured every 30 minutes up to 3 hours postprandially. Additional measures will include circulating hormones, immune system functioning, and other behaviors related to food intake and hunger, though specific assays like ELISA or qPCR are not detailed in the abstract.