In-Lab Study Links Sleep Deprivation to Weight Gain

In-Lab Study Links Sleep Deprivation to Weight Gain

Restricting sleep to 4 hours a night for 5 consecutive nights led to more weight gain for sleep-restricted participants than for control participants, according to results from a large, diverse, in-laboratory assessing sleep’s effect on weight, calorie intake, and meal timing. The study was published in the July issue of Sleep.

The researchers monitored calorie intake in a subset of participants (31 SR and 6 control participants). They also measured and weighed all food provided during protocol-specified meal times. However, participants were allowed to eat whenever they wanted if it did not interfere with testing. Monitors recorded all food and drink consumed and left over. They measured body weights 6 to 7 days before the laboratory phase, on admittance, and on discharge.

SR participants gained significantly more weight (0.97 ± 1.43 kg) than control participants (0.11 ± 1.85 kg), possibly because of late-night eating and eating meals with higher fat content, the researchers write. SR participants whose caloric intake was monitored gained 0.52 ± 1.60 kg compared with control participants, who lost 0.53 ± 1.16 kg.

“African Americans, who are at greater risk for obesity and more likely to be habitual short sleepers, may be more susceptible to weight gain in response to sleep restriction. Future studies should focus on identifying the behavioral and physiological mechanisms underlying this increased vulnerability.”

Read more at Sleep. 2013;36:981-990. Abstract