Food and physical activity are the pillars of fitness and weight loss, but not only. A study published in early February demonstrates the effectiveness of a third element: sleep.
The survey, conducted between 2014 and 2020, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, an American monthly medical journal, studied the impact that sleep can have on a weight loss process. A group of 80 overweight adults, all between the ages of 21 and 40, who slept an average of only six and a half hours a night were closely followed.
The study proceeded as follows: after several weeks of habitual sleep, the participants were divided into two groups. One of the two followed a session of personalized advice on sleep hygiene with the aim of extending its duration to eight and a half hours per night. The other, the control group, simply continued to sleep according to their habits. Participants were given a scale with instructions to weigh themselves naked, upon waking and on an empty stomach, each day.
In this randomized clinical trial of overweight adults who usually sleep <6.5 hours per night, sleep extension reduced daily energy intake by ~270 kcal. Maintaining adequate sleep duration could be a viable intervention to prevent or reverse obesity. https://t.co/4nURTFSMO0 pic.twitter.com/jXaRx7wOdG
— JAMA Internal Medicine (@JAMAInternalMed) February 7, 2022
more significant weight loss
Two major results can be drawn from this study. First of all, a temporary extension of sleep would not necessarily be beneficial. The study indicated a marked drop in daily energy intake of around 270 kcal among those who slept longer, compared to the control group.
In contrast, participants who increased their sleep duration experienced significant weight loss compared to the control group. The study therefore suggests that improving and above all maintaining correct sleep duration over the long term could help with weight loss and even prevent the risk of obesity.