A recent study from Columbia University reveals that cutting sleep by just under 90 minutes per night can lead to weight gain at a rate of one pound every six weeks. This modest reduction in sleep not only contributes to weight gain but also increases sedentary behavior among adults.
The research, led by Professor Marie-Pierre St-Onge of Columbia’s Department of Medicine and Institute for Human Nutrition, highlights the importance of sufficient sleep in preventing obesity and related health issues such as heart disease and diabetes. “Our findings suggest that adequate sleep may be a crucial factor in reducing the risk of weight gain and obesity-related conditions,” St-Onge explains.
Previous research has primarily focused on the effects of severe, short-term sleep deprivation, showing increased appetite and overeating as key contributors to weight gain. However, this study addresses a more common and realistic scenario where adults lose a moderate amount of sleep—about 80 minutes per night—over an extended period.
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The study involved 95 adults who normally sleep seven to eight hours per night. Participants were instructed to delay their bedtime by 90 minutes for six weeks, followed by six weeks of normal sleep. Researchers tracked sleep patterns with wrist monitors and measured changes in weight, waist circumference, body composition, and appetite-regulating hormones.
Assistant Professor Faris Zuraikat, the study’s first author, notes, “While a one-pound weight gain over six weeks might seem small, when extrapolated over a year, this could result in significant, clinically relevant weight gain.” The study also found that sedentary time increased by an average of 17 minutes daily during the sleep-restricted phase, with even more pronounced increases in men and postmenopausal women.
Additional findings from this group indicate that reduced sleep leads to increased insulin resistance in women with heightened cardiometabolic risk and an influx of inflammatory cells in the heart among participants with elevated heart disease risk. These combined effects underscore the complex health threats posed by insufficient sleep.
Professor St-Onge emphasizes, “Our research shows that inadequate sleep raises the risk of obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The next step is to explore how improving sleep duration could benefit those regularly experiencing insufficient rest.”
The study’s results, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, stress the importance of prioritizing sleep as a vital component of maintaining a healthy weight and reducing chronic disease risk.