Sleep Patterns and Tryptophan Consumption among Students at Spanish Universities: The Unihcos Project

• Published in: Nutrients 2024-07, Vol.16 (14), p.2376
• Main Authors: Morales-Suárez-Varela, María, Amezcua-Prieto, Carmen, Peraita-Costa, Isabel, Mateos-Campos, Ramona, Ayán, Carlos, Ortiz-Moncada, Rocío, Fernández-Villa, Tania
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Colleges & universities; Cross-Sectional Studies; culture and humanities; Diet; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Divorce; Domestic partners; Employment; Ethics; Feeding Behavior; Female; food intake; Grain; Humans; Informed consent; Insomnia; Legumes; Male; Marital status; Melatonin; Personal information; Questionnaires; risk; Serotonin; Sex Factors; Sleep; Sleep - physiology; sleep disorders; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders - epidemiology; Sociodemographics; Spain - epidemiology; Students - statistics & numerical data; tryptophan; Tryptophan - administration & dosage; Universities; University students; Young Adult; Young adults
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16142376

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to explore sleep patterns and the potential relationship between sleep and tryptophan intake among Spanish university students. A total of 11,485 students self-reported their sleep and dietary patterns and habits. Tryptophan intake was calculated using a food intake matrix and results were presented as quartiles of total intake. Short sleep duration prevalence was 51.0%, with males exhibiting a significantly higher frequency. A total of 55.0% of participants presented inadequate sleep efficiency, with males again presenting a higher rate. Median tryptophan intake was 692.16 ± 246.61 mg/day, 731.84 ± 246.86 mg/day in males and 677.24 ± 244.87 mg/day in females ( = 0.001). Dietary tryptophan intake below the first quartile (