Getting a good night’s sleep can do more than help you feel rested during the day. New research shows getting less than seven hours of sleep per night increases the risk of gaining weight.
The reason: Sleep loss triggers genetic changes that cause the body to pack on pounds, while getting plenty of sleep can help people stay slim.
The study, by researchers from University of Washington Medicine Sleep Center in Seattle and published in the journal Sleep, is the first to focus on how sleep impacts genetics and body weight.
“Shorter sleep duration is associated with increased [weight]… suggesting that shorter sleep duration increases expression of genetic risks for high body weight,” the researchers concluded. “At the same time, longer sleep duration may suppress genetic influences on body weight.”
For the study, researchers analyzed the sleep patterns and height and weight of nearly 1,100 twins. Two-thirds were women; average age was 36.6 years.
They found those who slept between seven and nine hours per night, on average, were slimmer than those who averaged less than seven hours of shut-eye.
The researchers aren’t sure which genetic pathways are impacted by sleep, but speculated they involve those that drive metabolism, fat storage, hunger, satiety, and other psychological functions.