Eating behaviors in sailors of the United States Navy: Meal-to-sleep intervals

Background: Due to their long workdays and erratic watch schedules, sailors on United States Navy (USN) ships often eat meals close to their bedtime, which may contribute to sleep disruption. Aim: To assess the duration of meal-to-sleep (M-S) intervals in relation to timing of sailor workdays and watch schedules. Methods: Longitudinal field assessment of USN sailors performing their underway duties ( N = 234). Participants completed questionnaires, wore actigraphs, and completed activity logs. Results: Approximately 35% of M-S intervals were <3 h in duration. M-S interval duration was associated with watchstanding status ( p < 0.001) and the number of sections in the watchstanding schedule ( p < 0.001). Sailors on the two-section watch schedule had, on average, the shortest M-S intervals (55 min) compared to sailors on three- or four-section watchbills (∼4 h) and to non-watchstanders (4.85 h). Conclusion: Sailors on two-section watchbills often eat quite close to bedtime. To provide appropriate recommendations regarding healthy dietary patterns, we will continue assessing dietary behaviors and food choices of sailors while underway, especially as they relate to sailor work hours, circadian rhythms, and sleep practices.