Alissa Links, M.S., HFI

New research from the Archives of Internal Medicine has shown a link between sleep deprivation and being overweight. Approximately 1,000 participants‘ sleep habits were studied, and investigators determined whether they were normal weight, overweight or obese by calculating their body mass index (BMI).

As body weight increased, total sleep times decreased, with the exception of the morbidly obese. Participants of normal weight slept almost two hours more per week than those who were overweight or obese. Previous research concluded that the average American got about seven hours of sleep per night, one hour less than optimal for most people. In contrast, in the early 1990s, Americans obtained about 8.5 hours of sleep every night.

Keep in mind, however, that sleeping eight hours or more each night does not mean sleep deprivation is not possible. Obese people often experience sleep apnea, a condition characterized by cessation of breathing during sleep, leading to poor-quality sleep. Sleep and obesity are a two-way street.

According to psychologist Michael Breus, “Bad sleep may lead to weight gain, and weight gain can lead to bad sleep.”

Source: Robert D. Verona, Maria P. Winn, Teresa W. Babineau, Benjamin P. Eng, Howard Feldman, and J. Catesby Ware. “Overweight and obese patients in a primary care population report less sleep than patients with a normal body mass index.” Archives of Internal Medicine, January 10, 2005; 165: 25 – 30.