The interplay of night eating syndrome with resting metabolic rate, anthropometric measures, and sleep quality in normal-weight female university students: a case–control study

Aims: Night eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by food consumption during bedtime or late night. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between NES and resting metabolic rate (RMR), anthropometric measurements, and sleep quality. Methods: The study employed a case–control design to compare individuals with NES and healthy controls in terms of RMR, anthropometric parameters, and sleep quality. The study was conducted with 64 female university students aged ≥ 18 years with BMI in the normal range (18.5–24.9 kg/m²), including an NES group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 32). NES was assessed using the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ). RMR was measured using the COSMED Fitmate PRO. Sleep disturbance was assessed using the Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS). Results: No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of RMR (p > 0.05). The relation of the NEQ score on body fat mass was not significant, but a significant negative correlation was found between the NEQ score and BMI (p < 0.05). JSS scores were higher in individuals with NES and were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). A significant difference was found between the groups in terms of the habit of consuming three main meals (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Although sleep disturbances were more common in individuals with NES in our study, no significant difference in metabolic rate was found between the two groups. This is the first study to examine metabolic rate in healthy young adults with NES using indirect calorimetry, and further research is needed in this area.