Cutting 80 Minutes of Sleep Nightly Added 1 Pound in 6 Weeks
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Jul 15
Cutting 80 Minutes of Sleep Nightly Added 1 Pound in 6 Weeks
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Jul 15
Summary
95 adults who slept about 80 minutes less per night for six weeks gained an average of 1 pound and spent more time inactive, according to a Columbia University pooled analysis.
17 minutes of extra sedentary time per day accompanied the sleep loss, rising to nearly 30 minutes among men and postmenopausal women even after accounting for longer waking hours.
The trial compared two six-week periods—one with bedtimes delayed by 90 minutes and one with normal sleep—while wrist monitors tracked sleep and activity and researchers measured weight, waist size and appetite-related hormones.
30% of adults experience similar chronic mild sleep loss, the researchers said, warning that if sustained for months or years it could contribute to clinically meaningful weight gain and higher diabetes and heart-disease risk.
Can you reverse the weight gain from poor sleep by simply sleeping more again?
Is losing just one hour of sleep nightly the hidden driver of the obesity epidemic?
Why does being awake longer make us more sedentary instead of more active?
Even Mild Sleep Loss Causes Rapid Weight Gain: New Columbia Study Reveals 0.6 Pounds in 4 Days
Overview
Recent research from Columbia University, led by Marie-Pierre St-Onge and funded by NIH, reveals that even mild sleep restriction can quickly lead to weight gain. In a controlled study, healthy adults spent four nights with either normal sleep (nine hours) or restricted sleep (five hours), with all meals and calorie intake closely monitored. The findings showed that just a few nights of less sleep caused participants to eat more—about 300 extra calories per day—and gain weight, mainly due to increased fat and protein intake. This highlights how even small reductions in sleep can directly impact eating habits and body weight.