A recent study indicates that regularly cutting back on sleep may contribute to weight gain.
Researchers followed 95 adults at a medical center, comparing six weeks of adequate sleep with six weeks of reduced sleep, where participants slept about 90 minutes less each night.
After the sleep-restricted phase, participants weighed on average one pound more and had slightly larger waistlines. Their sedentary time increased, while moderate and vigorous exercise remained unchanged.
No significant changes were observed in body fat or muscle mass, and dietary intake was not recorded, leaving the cause of the weight gain uncertain.
Dr. Somi Javaid emphasized that sleep plays a key role in metabolic regulation, noting that reducing sleep during critical life stages can impair metabolism and that adults should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
The study’s six‑week duration may be too brief to detect changes in body fat, and the small sample size limits subgroup analysis. Hormone measurements were taken only in the morning, potentially missing daily fluctuations.
These findings suggest that chronic sleep deprivation may be a factor in weight gain, highlighting the importance of viewing sleep as a vital health indicator.
