4 - (SYM 101) Baseline Sleep Efficiency Predicts Outcome from Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Binge-spectrum Eating Disorders

Outcomes from cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) for binge-spectrum eating disorders (EDs) leave room for improvement, and thus new treatment targets need to be identified. One potential treatment target is dysregulated sleep decreased sleep efficiency, duration, or quality). Dysregulated sleep is known to impact self-regulation abilities, such as inhibitory control and emotion regulation, that can contribute to binge eating.(i.e., increased sleep latency, and
 

Given that CBT does not explicitly target sleep, dysregulated sleep at baseline may negatively impact treatment outcomes. Thus, we aimed to examine the relation between sleep disturbance (measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and treatment outcome among adults (N = 79; M age = 39.37, SD age = 11.48; 84.81% White; 89.87% female) receiving cognitive- behavioral therapy for binge eating. Linear multiple regression models examined the effects of sleep disturbance on any loss of control eating [LOC] and objective binge episode [OBE] frequency at post-treatment. Generalized linear multiple regression models assessed the effect of sleep disturbance on remission from LOC and OBEs at post-treatment.
 

Baseline sleep efficiency was significantly related to frequency of LOC eating at post-treatment (Est = -6.680, S.E. = 3.250, p = 0.045) such that higher baseline sleep efficiency was associated with lower post- treatment LOC frequency. No other sleep characteristics were significantly associated with post-treatment LOC/OBE frequency or remission from LOC/OBEs.
 

Our findings indicate that interventions aimed at improving sleep efficiency (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) may represent promising treatments for improving binge eating. Future research should assess whether changes in sleep efficiency over treatment are associated with increased reductions in binge eating at post-treatment.