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- Getting enough sleep may lower the number of calories you consume, according to a new study.
- The researchers studied the impact of extended sleep on the calorie intake of 80 people.
- While the study has some limitations, it also has noteworthy strengths, including that it was not conducted in a sleep lab.
You already know that constant sleep deprivation can negatively affect how you feel the next day. But you may not have thought much about how important sleep is for your health and wellbeing, which includes regulating your emotions, immune system, and weight.
A recent study provides evidence confirming the last point. According to the findings, people who were no longer sleep deprived, decreased their calorie intake.
The randomised trial followed 80 young, overweight adults between the ages of 21 and 40 years who typically slept for fewer than 6.5 hours per night. They were asked to extend their sleeping time to about 8.5 hours a night for two weeks.
Members of a control group were, however, required to continue their habitual sleep patterns. All study participants were instructed to carry on with their daily routine activities at home and not undertake any unusual diet or physical activity during this time.
The results
In this period, many of the participants who managed to hit the hay earlier than usual decreased their calorie intake by an average of 270 calories a day. The researchers’ projections indicate that eating 270 fewer calories per day would result in losing 26 pounds (around 11.7 kg) over three years.
Reporting their findings in JAMA Internal Medicine, the researchers wrote: “... Those randomised to a two-week sleep extension intervention significantly reduced their daily energy intake by approximately 270 kcal compared with the control group.”
Some of the participants cut their intake by 500 calories each day, the authors reported.
The study, which was conducted from November 2014 to October 2020, adds further value to the myriad of evidence demonstrating the importance of getting sufficient sleep.
More about the study
In their paper, the researchers, from the Sleep Research Centre at the University of Chicago, note that short sleep duration is recognised as a risk factor for obesity. However, prior to their study, it was unknown whether getting more sleep could mitigate this risk.
The authors noted a few limitations, including that their study cohort didn’t enrol participants who suffered from insomnia or any other major sleep disorders.
Another important factor is that many sleep studies are conducted in a sleep lab, which can affect participants' sleep since they’re in an unfamiliar environment. But one of the strengths of the current study is that it occurred in a real-world setting.
The researchers also noted that most studies linking short sleep duration to body weight have relied on self-reported dietary intake, but they avoided this method. Instead, they used a urine test that objectively tracked participants’ energy intake.
According to the authors:
Getting better, longer sleep
Staying busy forms a huge part of modern life, and getting sufficient sleep may feel like an unaffordable luxury. In fact, sleep deprivation is shrugged off by millions of people worldwide.
But there are some hacks to getting better, healthier sleep. Here are some tips, as mentioned in previous Health24 articles:
- Limit your alcohol and caffeine intake before going to bed.
- Charge your phone away from your bed.
- Reduce lengthy daytime naps.
- Exercise during the day.
- Set a regular bedtime.
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