Wisdom and Insights from Stephen Anton
When you sleep less, you are more likely to eat more the next day, as you have probably experienced. This relationship has been consistently shown in previous research.
But up until recently, no study had examined the effects of training individuals to sleep more on changes in food intake and body weight.
A recent study* published in JAMA last month did just that and the findings are quite intriguing.
The participants, who all reported getting less than 6.5 hours of sleep a night, were randomized to receive sleep hygiene recommendations or to a control condition.
After 2 weeks, the participants in the intervention group reported sleeping 1.5 extra hours each night. These participants also reported eating approximately 270 fewer calories per day and losing about 1 pound of body weight.
If this reduction was maintained over time, a relatively large weight loss could occur just from sleeping a bit more. In addition, the participants who slept more reported having more energy during the day, feeling more alert and being in a better mood.
So, it seems a little extra Zs can pay huge dividends.
All it takes sometimes is a small lifestyle change to set you on the path of weight loss and greater well-being.
*JAMA Intern Med. Published online February 7, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.8098
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Wisdom and Insights from Stephen Anton
