Higher BMI Linked to Shorter Sleep

Want to keep your weight under control? Get some rest.

 

Studies have shown that a lack of sleep leads to weight gain. When a person is sleep deprived, levels of the hormone ghrelin — responsible for an increase in hunger —spike and another hormone, leptin — which suppresses appetite — drops, according to a Sept. 14 article on CNN.

 

A new study has confirmed that poor sleep is connected with a greater body mass index. While previous studies have relied on people reporting how much they slept, this study used sleep apps on fitness trackers, smartphones and watches to track sleep quality in 120,000 people for up to two years. 

 

Published Sept. 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study done by researchers in La Jolla, California, found that individual sleep patterns were highly variable. People with BMIs of 30 and above, which is considered obese by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, slept 15 minutes less than those with lower BMIs and had more variable sleep patterns.