A Columbia University study found that losing about 80 minutes of sleep per night for six weeks caused adults to gain an average of one pound and increase sedentary time by 17 minutes daily. The research, designed to mimic real-world mild sleep loss affecting 30% of adults, also links poor sleep to increased insulin resistance and heart inflammation, highlighting its role in preventing obesity and related diseases.
Sleep restriction study design
- ▪For one six-week period, study participants delayed their bedtime by 90 minutes, reducing their sleep by about 80 minutes nightly
- ▪The study was published on July 6 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine
- ▪A Columbia University study on sleep involved 95 adults who typically slept between 7 and 8 hours each night
Weight gain findings
- ▪In a six-week study, adults who reduced their nightly sleep by about 80 minutes gained an average of one pound
- ▪A researcher noted that this rate of weight gain could become clinically meaningful if extrapolated over a full year
Reduced physical activity
- ▪Among men and postmenopausal women, inactivity rose by nearly 30 minutes each day during the sleep restriction period
- ▪During the sleep restriction phase, participants' average sedentary time increased by 17 minutes per day
Cardiometabolic health risks
- ▪Another study found that mild sleep restriction led to an influx of inflammatory cells in the heart for people with elevated heart disease risk
- ▪A related study found that women with increased cardiometabolic risk developed greater insulin resistance after six weeks of mild sleep restriction
Real-world sleep patterns
- ▪The study was designed to reflect chronic, mild sleep loss, a pattern experienced by roughly 30% of adults
- ▪Much previous research on sleep and obesity focused on severe sleep deprivation, such as limiting people to only four hours of sleep
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