Why Short Sleep Duration Leads to Weight Gain

The Longer You Stay Awake, the More You Eat... Consuming More High-Calorie, Low-Nutrient Snacks

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[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] A study has found that sleeping less than seven hours a day increases the likelihood of health problems such as weight gain, obesity, heart disease, and hypertension.

Researchers at Ohio State University analyzed data from about 20,000 American adults and argued in the September issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that when sleep falls short of the recommended duration, intake of carbohydrate snacks, added sugars, fats, and caffeine tends to increase.

The research team examined data from 19,650 American adults aged 20 to 60 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018. They also inquired about the participants’ average weekday sleep duration and daily eating habits.

NHANES is a survey research project conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assess the health and nutritional status of American adults and children and to track changes over time.

Professor Christopher Taylor of the College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Ohio State University, who led the study, warned, "Staying up late not only reduces physical activity but also leads to behaviors that contribute to obesity, such as watching TV or snacking."

When the researchers investigated the participants’ sleep duration and snack consumption, they found that over 95% ate at least one type of snack daily. Moreover, these individuals obtained more than half of their calories from two or more of the following: soft drinks, energy drinks, fried foods, pretzels (knot- or stick-shaped salty biscuits), cookies, and cakes.

Those who slept less than the recommended duration tended to start snacking early in the morning and consumed more calorie-dense but nutritionally poor snacks.

Professor Taylor noted, "Adhering to recommended sleep durations helps avoid harmful behaviors. The longer you stay awake, the more opportunities you have to eat."

At night, calorie intake mostly comes from snacks and sweets rather than whole grains, fruits, or vegetables.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society (SRS) recommend adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night. Falling short of this increases the risk of weight gain, obesity, heart disease, and hypertension.

The CDC has warned that insufficient sleep duration or poor sleep quality can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and other chronic illnesses.