Columbia Study Ties 90 Minutes Less Sleep to 1-Pound Weight Gain in 6 Weeks
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 26
Columbia Study Ties 90 Minutes Less Sleep to 1-Pound Weight Gain in 6 Weeks
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 26
Summary
Ninety minutes less sleep a night for six weeks left adults about 1 pound heavier on average than when they got adequate rest, according to a Columbia University study of 95 at-risk adults.
Participants in the sleep-restricted phase also had slightly larger waistlines and spent more time sitting, while moderate and vigorous exercise levels stayed about the same.
Researchers found no significant changes in body fat or muscle mass and did not track food intake, leaving the cause of the weight gain unclear.
Outside experts said the findings reinforce sleep's role in metabolism, with menopause potentially making women more vulnerable as sleep problems become more common.
The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, was limited by its small sample, six-week duration and hormone measurements taken only in the morning.