Higher meal frequency, meal irregularity, and longer time-window of caloric intake were associated with poorer sleep quality and lower quality of life, while a longer interval between the last meal and bedtime was associated with better sleep quality and higher mental and physical functioning.
Key Findings
Results
Higher meal frequency was associated with poorer sleep quality across multiple quartiles compared to the lowest quartile.
B (95% CI): 0.90 (0.33, 1.47) for Q2 vs Q1, 1.02 (0.49, 1.54) for Q3 vs Q1, and 0.68 (0.17, 1.20) for Q4 vs Q1
Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (range 0–21, higher scores indicating worse quality)
Cross-sectional analysis of 3,463 participants (51% women, mean age 63.6 years) from The Maastricht Study
Analyses adjusted for sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors
Results
Higher meal frequency was associated with lower mental functioning (quality of life) in the highest quartile compared to the lowest.
B (95% CI): -1.24 (-2.22, -0.25) for Q4 vs Q1
Mental functioning was assessed via the SF-36 mental functioning subscale (range 0–100, higher scores indicating better functioning)
No significant association was observed for lower quartiles of meal frequency vs Q1 for mental functioning
Results
Higher meal irregularity was linearly associated with poorer sleep quality and lower physical functioning.
Association with sleep quality: B = 0.33 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.46)
Association with physical functioning: B = -0.43 (95% CI: -0.65, -0.21)
Meal irregularity was measured using a chrono-nutrition questionnaire
Physical functioning assessed via the SF-36 physical functioning subscale (range 0–100)
Results
A longer time-window of caloric intake was associated with poorer sleep quality and lower physical functioning.
Association with sleep quality: B = 0.57 (0.09, 1.06) for Q3 vs Q1 and 0.49 (-0.02, 0.99) for Q4 vs Q1
Association with physical functioning: B = -0.17 per hour (95% CI: -0.32, -0.02)
Time-window of caloric intake was assessed via a chrono-nutrition questionnaire
Results
A longer interval between the last meal and bedtime was associated with better sleep quality and higher mental and physical functioning.
Association with sleep quality: B = -0.72 (-1.25, -0.19) for Q2 vs Q1 and -0.85 (-1.31, -0.39) for Q4 vs Q1 (negative B indicates better sleep quality)
Association with mental functioning: B = 0.20 per hour longer (95% CI: 0.00, 0.41)
Association with physical functioning: B = 0.29 per hour (95% CI: 0.11, 0.48)
Interval between last meal and bedtime assessed via chrono-nutrition questionnaire
Results
Glucose metabolism status did not modify the associations between chrono-nutrition and sleep or quality of life outcomes.
The Maastricht Study was enriched with participants with type 2 diabetes, making this test of effect modification particularly relevant
No effect modification by glucose metabolism status was found for any of the chrono-nutrition associations examined
Methods
The study used a cross-sectional design with a population-based sample enriched with participants with type 2 diabetes.
Total sample: 3,463 participants (51% women, mean age 63.6 years)
Sleep duration and fragmentation were estimated using activPAL accelerometers
Sleep duration categories analyzed: <7, 7–9, and >9 hours; sleep fragmentation categories: 0, <1, and >1 breaks/night
Multiple linear regression used for sleep quality and QoL; multinomial logistic regression used for sleep duration and fragmentation
All models adjusted for sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors
What This Means
This research suggests that when and how regularly people eat throughout the day is meaningfully linked to how well they sleep and their overall quality of life. Using data from over 3,400 adults in the Netherlands, researchers found that people who ate more frequently, ate at irregular times, or spread their eating across a longer portion of the day tended to report worse sleep quality and lower physical functioning. Conversely, people who allowed a longer gap between their last meal of the day and when they went to bed tended to sleep better and report better mental and physical well-being.
These findings held up even after accounting for many other factors that could influence sleep and quality of life, such as age, health conditions, and lifestyle habits. Importantly, the associations were similar regardless of whether someone had type 2 diabetes or normal blood sugar regulation, suggesting the patterns may be broadly relevant across different metabolic health profiles.
This research suggests that not just what people eat, but the timing and regularity of their eating patterns — sometimes called 'chrono-nutrition' — may play a role in sleep health and quality of life. Because this was a cross-sectional study (a snapshot in time), it cannot confirm that changing eating habits would directly improve sleep or well-being, but it does point to eating timing as a potentially important area for future research and public health consideration.
Chong M, Koster A, Meertens R, Pot G, de Galan B, van der Kallen C, et al.. (2026). Associations of chrono-nutrition with sleep and quality of life: The Maastricht Study.. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2026.106593