Creatine and sleep habits and disorders in the general population aged 16 years and over: NHANES 2007-2008.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey analysis of NHANES data
PubMed 39569425 · doi:10.1177/02601060241299958
What was done
Cross-sectional study analyzing data from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 5,988 individuals aged 16 years and older (50.5% females, mean age 47.4 ± 19.5 years). Dietary creatine intake was estimated from an in-person 24-hour food recall interview and categorized as suboptimal (<1.00 g/day) or recommended (≥1.00 g/day). Sleep habits, trouble sleeping, and sleep disorders were assessed via self-reported household interview questionnaires.
What was found
Mean daily dietary creatine intake was 0.88 ± 0.85 g (95% CI: 0.86 to 0.90), and mean nightly sleep duration was 6.8 ± 1.5 hours (95% CI: 6.8 to 6.9). Overall, 22.2% (1,331 participants) had consulted a healthcare provider for sleep issues. Participants with suboptimal creatine intake had a significantly higher prevalence of trouble sleeping than those meeting recommended intake (23.7% vs 19.3%, P < 0.01; odds ratio 1.30, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.48). Severe sleep disorders showed no significant difference between the two intake groups (P > 0.05).
Why it matters
This study provides the first population-level observational association between low dietary creatine intake and self-reported sleep difficulties, identifying a potential dietary target for future interventional sleep research.
Limits
The cross-sectional design precludes establishing causality or temporal sequence. Dietary creatine was measured using a single 24-hour recall, which is vulnerable to recall error and day-to-day variability. Sleep parameters and disorders relied entirely on self-report rather than objective measures such as polysomnography or actigraphy.
Cited by
- supports There is no evidence that creatine supplementation disrupts sleep.