Recent research has investigated whether too little sleep may contribute to a larger waistline. The research included 11 studies with a total of 172 participants and found that compared to those that got enough sleep, those who were sleep deprived consumed an average of 385 more calories a day.
There was no difference in how many calories were burned. It seems that people who don’t sleep enough had a higher fat and lower protein intake.
The researchers added that sleep deprivation is on of the most common and potentially modifiable health risks in our society.
More research will investigate whether sleep extension could play a role in obesity prevention and treatment.
This research is very interesting and when you consider similar recent research, which showed that partial sleep deprivation led to a greater activation of brain areas associated with reward, when people were exposed to to food, the value of sleep becomes more and more obvious.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2/11/16