Association of cognitive aspects of eating and dietary behaviors with weekday sleep duration among young Japanese adults: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Adequate sleep is essential for maintaining health; however, insufficient and irregular sleep patterns remain a public health concern. Lifestyle behaviors, including dietary habits, have been associated with sleep, but limited evidence exists regarding the role of cognitive aspects of eating, particularly in relation to sleep behaviors. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations of sociodemographic characteristics, social jetlag (SJL), cognitive aspects of eating, and dietary behaviors with weekday sleep duration among young Japanese adults. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 1,844 non-student adults aged 18–39 years who participated in a nationwide online survey. Weekday sleep duration was categorized into three groups: < 6 h, 6–9 h, and ≥ 9 h. SJL was calculated as the difference between mid-sleep times on weekdays and weekends. Cognitive aspects of eating were assessed using multiple components, including perceived values regarding eating breakfast (12 items summarized into three factors: perceived benefits, environmental and social facilitators, and perceived barriers), self-reported efforts to maintain a healthy diet, and attitudes toward specific dietary practices (e.g., eating breakfast, balanced meals, regular meal timing, avoiding late-night eating, and eating with family or friends). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine factors associated with sleep duration. Results Short sleep duration (< 6 h) was associated with greater SJL (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.11–1.40), lower concern for avoiding late-night eating (OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80–0.99). In contrast, long sleep duration (≥ 9 h) was associated with smaller SJL (OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.56–0.83), lower perceived benefits of eating breakfast (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.68–0.93), and higher odds of rarely eating breakfast (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.03–2.66). Conclusions Sleep duration was differentially associated with SJL, cognitive aspects of eating, and dietary behaviors among young Japanese adults. These findings highlight the importance of considering cognitive aspects of eating, in addition to dietary behaviors, when examining sleep-related health issues among young Japanese adults.