A little over an extra hour of sleep, about 270 fewer calories per day
Researchers randomized 80 adults with overweight who slept little; those given advice to sleep more ate less over two weeks, according to an estimate.
The key idea
With advice to sleep more, the group slept longer and its estimated calorie intake fell, but only over two weeks.
The study, in plain language
The team wanted to know whether making more room for sleep also changed how much adults with overweight who usually slept little ate. After observing their habits for two weeks, they randomly assigned one group to personalized advice to extend time in bed while the other continued its usual habits.
With this support, sleep increased by a little over an hour per night compared with the other group. Calorie intake, estimated from energy expenditure and changes in the body, was lower, and weight was also lower. Total energy expenditure, however, did not clearly differ. The group was small, from one center, and the change lasted two weeks; it is unknown whether people could sustain it.
What they found
- The support consisted of personalized advice to spend more time in bed.
- That group slept more and, according to the team’s estimate, consumed fewer calories.
- Weight was also lower in that group. Total energy expenditure showed no firm difference.
Something to think about
After sleeping poorly, do you notice that you eat differently? This study did not ask that; it measured what happened when people slept more over two weeks.
How they studied it
At one Chicago center, 80 adults aged 21 to 40 with overweight who usually slept less than six and a half hours were randomized. One group received personalized advice to spend more time in bed, while the other kept its habits for two weeks, after another two weeks of usual-habit measurement. Food intake was estimated indirectly from energy expenditure and changes in body stores.
What the study cannot show
- Few people took part, all from one center, and the sleep change lasted only two weeks. It is unknown whether they could maintain it. Food intake was estimated indirectly, so that figure also has a margin of error.
- It is unknown whether sleeping more helps with long-term weight loss or whether the same result applies to people of other ages, with other health conditions, or with different work schedules. The fact that sleep and food intake changed together does not by itself explain why.
The original study
Effect of Sleep Extension on Objectively Assessed Energy Intake Among Adults With Overweight in Real-life Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
