Short sleeps linked to weight gain
14 July 2011
The influence of the amount of sleep a person gets on bodyweight gain and loss has been getting attention recently. One study made observations of 15 male and 15 female middle-aged participants with healthy average bodyweight. The researchers examined their energy balance (energy/calories in versus energy/calories out) after shortened or regular sleep cycles.
One half of the group slept for shorter hours, limited to four hours per night for five days, then nine hours per night. The sleep patterns in the other half were in the reverse order. During this time, their daily food intake was measured as was their energy (calories) expenditure, using a double-labelled water method.
While sleeping on the short four-hour cycles, the participants consumed more food energy but their daily energy expenditure remained the same. The increased energy intake was mainly made up from saturated fat. The difference was quite substantial - about 300 calories (1250kJ) daily. Thus, at least in the short term, having less than the recommended amount of sleep would seem to increase the risks of obesity and coronary heart disease. It is already known that short sleep cycles are associated with obesity.
So having the recommended amount of sleep each night (eight or nine hours) may also help prevent obesity.
Last Reviewed: 14 July 2011
- St-Onge M-P, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2011 June 29. [Epub ahead of print] doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.013904.
