Sleep Less, Weigh More
Skimping on sleep may be curtailing your efforts to lose weight, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Sleep deprivation affects behavior (i.e., not making good choices when we are tired) and appetite-related hormones. It was found that both adults and children who obtained fewer hours of sleep were more likely to be overweight.
In children ages 5-10, the risk of being overweight or obese increased by 42% in children who were sleeping 10.5-11.5 hours per night compared to those sleeping 12-13 hours per night. The risk was more than 3 times greater in children obtaining just 8-10 hours per night. The risk of being overweight and obese increased in adults who slept less than 7 hours per night.
