Cara Stewart, RD, LDN, member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, discusses a recent study that suggests a link between sleep deprivation and calorie consumption.
Approximately 20 percent of Americans get six or less hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. That figure raises concern given new research that sheds more light on the major toll sleep deprivation can take on your health.
A recent study showed that people who slept less ate more, suggesting a link between sleep deprivation and obesity. The study, conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, followed sleep and eating patterns of 17 healthy young men and women for 11 days.
For the first three days, researchers measured calorie consumption and energy expenditure to establish a baseline. For the remaining eight days, half of the participants slept normally while the others got just two-thirds of their normal sleep. Eating habits remained unchanged in both groups. The findings revealed that those in the sleep-deprived group consumed an average of 549 more calories a day.
Although the study was small, it supports earlier research that linked chronic sleep deprivation with a variety of adverse health effects and illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Larger scale studies are needed to confirm these findings and better understand exactly why sleep deprivation leads to increased calorie consumption.
In the meantime, it seems safe to conclude that sleep is an important part of your healthy lifestyle. Just by getting in bed on time, you can cut calories without even trying. Now that’s a diet that is hard to beat!
To learn how to improve your sleep habits, click here.
- Cara Stewart, RD, LDN
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