Thursday, November 7, 2024
Research

Sleeping more leads to eating fewer daily Calories and increase fat loss

Gayan Perera

(Tasali et al., 2022)

Observational studies show an association between short sleep duration and increased risk of obesity. Each hour of reduction in sleep compared to 7 hours of sleep increased obesity risk by 9% (Zhou et al., 2019).

There are a few potential reasons/explanations for this association

  • Short sleep duration may stimulate hunger through effects on appetite-regulating hormones.
  • Reduced sleep enhances the neuronal centers in the brain associated with pleasure and reward, leading to eating more energy dense food (Onge et al., 2019), (Greer et al., 2013).
  • Increased time awake, more time to eat.

Tasali et al., 2022 a randomized controlled trial investigated if increasing sleep duration in a real-life setting reduces energy intake.

Participants with 6.5 hours or less habitual sleep were randomized into one of two groups.

1.     Sleep extension – Increased sleep duration to 8.5 hours

2.     Control Group – Continued with usual sleeping habits of 6.5 hours.

Participants were advised to continue with their regular daily routine without a prescribed diet or physical activity. So, they are unlikely to influence the outcome.

Interestingly, when sleep duration increased from 6.5 hours to 8.5 hours, they consumed 156 less Calories per day. The controlled group consumed 115 Calories more per day. So the participants slept 8.5 hours ate 270 Calories less than the participants who slept only 6.5 hours. Sleep duration was inversely correlated with the change in energy intake. Every hour increased in sleep duration is associated with a reduction in 162 Calorie consumption approximately.  

Improving and maintaining a healthy sleep duration should be considered as a part of a fat loss, body composition, or lifestyle program. 

Reference:

Tasali E, Wroblewski K, Kahn E, Kilkus J, Schoeller DA. Effect of Sleep Extension on Objectively Assessed Energy Intake Among Adults With Overweight in Real-life Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Apr