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Feb 8, 2022 - Health

Study: Better sleep habits can reduce calorie intake

Tina Reed
Illustration of a brain wearing a sleeping eye mask.

Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios

Getting more sleep could help you consume fewer calories, a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine found.

The details: The randomized clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Chicago studied 80 overweight adults between the ages of 21 and 40 who habitually slept less than six and a half hours a night.

  • Those randomized to sleep at least eight and a half hours of sleep for two weeks consumed an average of 270 calories less than the control group.
  • Total calories burned during that time did not significantly differ between the two groups.

The bottom line: Better sleep habits could be part of obesity prevention and weight loss programs, the authors wrote.

  • Researchers projected the reduction in calories consumed could translate to a loss of 26 pounds over three years, CNN reported.
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