People who sleep nine or more hours per night tend to consume more alcohol and less theobromine (found in chocolate and tea) and choline (important for brain and liver function) than those who sleep 7–8 hours.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
A systematic review could determine whether consistent associations between long sleep and elevated alcohol intake or low choline/theobromine exist across diverse populations.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 25+ prospective cohort studies measuring daily alcohol intake, choline, and theobromine via validated dietary tools and objectively measured sleep duration (actigraphy) over 5+ years in adults aged 25–70.
An RCT could determine whether reducing alcohol intake or increasing choline alters sleep duration in individuals with habitual long sleep.
A double-blind RCT of 120 adults with habitual long sleep (>9 h) randomized to either alcohol reduction counseling + placebo or alcohol reduction + 550 mg/day choline supplementation for 12 weeks, measuring sleep duration via actigraphy and biomarkers.
A cohort study could determine whether high alcohol intake or low choline intake predicts the development of long sleep over time.
A 10-year prospective cohort study of 10,000 adults aged 30–60 with annual assessments of alcohol consumption (grams/day), choline intake (mg/day), and actigraphy-based sleep duration, adjusting for BMI, mental health, and socioeconomic status.
A case-control study could compare lifetime alcohol and choline intake in adults with persistent long sleep versus those with normal sleep.
A case-control study comparing 300 adults with self-reported long sleep (>9 h) for ≥5 years to 600 matched controls with normal sleep (7–8 h), using validated food frequency questionnaires to assess alcohol and choline intake over the past decade.
A cross-sectional study can confirm whether alcohol intake and choline/theobromine levels differ between long and normal sleepers at a single point in time.
A nationally representative cross-sectional survey using 24-hour dietary recalls and actigraphy in 10,000 U.S. adults to compare alcohol, choline, and theobromine intake across sleep duration categories.