Dr. Axe Wire · Study decoded · sleep

Rotating Shift Workers Eat More Fat And Sugar Than Day Workers

A small study of factory workers in Turkiye links rotating shifts to higher calorie and fat intake, plus a possible diet-sleep connection worth watching.

By Dr. Axe Editorial Team · October 27, 2026 · 1 source · Watch

Photo: Pexels

Rotating shift workers took in significantly more calories and fat than fixed daytime workers, according to a study published October 22, 2026 in PLOS One.

52male factory workers

265more calories/day

The cross-sectional study compared 26 fixed daytime workers and 26 rotating shift workers, all men, at a defense industry factory in Ankara, Turkiye. Diet was assessed with three non-consecutive days of 24-hour recalls, and inflammatory potential of the diet was scored using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), which rates diets from anti- to pro-inflammatory based on 33 food and nutrient components. Rotating shift workers ate 2,427.8 calories a day versus 2,163.0 for fixed daytime workers, a difference of about 265 calories, with significantly higher total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, fructose and cholesterol, plus higher vitamin A, folate, iron, calcium and phosphorus. DII scores were nearly identical between groups (0.2 versus -0.2), and body mass index, waist circumference and most body composition measures did not differ. Fixed daytime workers had higher total body water (56.0% versus 53.6%).

Across all 52 workers, higher DII scores were linked to poorer overall sleep quality on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, a 19-item scale from 0 to 21 where higher means worse sleep, plus shorter sleep duration and more daytime dysfunction. The authors state pro-inflammatory dietary patterns and poor sleep may be co-existing factors tied to metabolic risk. More broadly, inflammatory signaling in the body can interact with brain chemistry that regulates sleep and wake cycles; this study did not test that mechanism directly.

The diet-sleep link lost statistical significance after adjusting for age, BMI, smoking, physical activity and work schedule, so this is a link, not proof that diet drives the sleep problems.

Daily Calorie Intake: Rotating Shift vs. Fixed Daytime Workers

PLOS One, 2026, Sünbül & Türker

This was a single-site, male-only sample of 52 using self-reported diet and sleep data at one point in time; larger studies across worksites, both sexes and repeated measures are the logical next step.

Dr. Axe’s Take

The 265-calorie gap and the jump in saturated fat and fructose are what I'd act on here, not the inflammation score, which barely moved between groups. If you work rotating shifts, anchor protein and fiber at the start of every shift to blunt the appetite swings irregular hours create, and protect sleep with magnesium glycinate plus a short, consistent wind-down routine even when the schedule won't cooperate. Blackout curtains and blue-light-blocking glasses before a night shift ends matter more than people realize. Diet and sleep move together in this data, and I'd work on both at once rather than picking one.

— Dr. Axe

Take the Cellular Health Quiz →

Study summary

Who: 52 male factory workers in Ankara, Turkiye: 26 fixed daytime, 26 rotating shift, mean age 35-36
Design: Cross-sectional study, 24-hour dietary recalls on 3 non-consecutive days, Dietary Inflammatory Index and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Dose: Not applicable; observational comparison of fixed daytime vs. rotating shift schedules
Primary result: Rotating shift workers ate 2,427.8 vs 2,163.0 calories/day (fixed); DII scores similar, 0.2 vs -0.2, not significant
Secondary: Higher total/saturated/monounsaturated fat, fructose, cholesterol in rotating shift group; DII linked to poorer global sleep score, shorter sleep duration, more daytime dysfunction overall, not significant after adjustment
Funding / conflicts: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work. Conflict statement in the PubMed record: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Date: Oct 22, 2026