Study Finds Link Between Sleep Loss and Weight Gain

If you’re looking to lose weight ahead of beach season, a new study says you should be just as concerned with counting sheep as you are with counting calories. Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have found that participants who got less sleep actually ended up snacking more and packing on more pounds. Sixteen men and women took part in the study, with some of the participants sleeping nine hours per night and some only getting five hours of shut-eye. Those getting less sleep generally had smaller breakfasts but they ate much more when it came to after-dinner snacks.
So even though the ones who slept less actually burned five percent more energy, they also ate six percent more calories. Now that’s food for thought!