Study suggests that sleep-deprivation can lead to excess eating and weight gain

If you’re concerned about your weight and trying to shed a few pounds, you would be well advised to get a good night’s rest.
That’s the take-home message from a study by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. They found people eat more when they’re sleep-deprived.
The new report builds on earlier observational studies of the general population that suggest people who suffer from chronic sleep problems are prone to weight gain.
But in this case, the Mayo Clinic researchers studied 17 healthy young men and women in a carefully controlled laboratory setting, hoping to obtain a better understanding of the effects of sleep on food consumption.
For three days, the volunteers were closely monitored to determine how much they normally eat and sleep. Then they were randomly divided into two groups for eight more days of testing.
About half of them were allowed to maintain their regular sleep habits. But the other half had their sleep cut back to two-thirds of their normal shut-eye. During the study, all the volunteers were allowed to eat whatever they wanted.
The study revealed a reduction in sleep led to a significant increase in the amount of food eaten. The volunteers in the sleep-restricted group consumed an average of 549 additional calories on the days after their sleep was curbed, compared to when they got their normal night’s rest.

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