Longer sleep associated with lower BMI, smaller waist: Study

Longer sleep periods are associated with a lower body mass index and positive metabolic health markers, according to a study published Tuesday, with the researchers highlighting the role of sleep in the battle against obesity.

Looking at over 1,600 participants, researchers from the University of Leeds in the U.K. found an association between people reporting longer periods of sleep and better health markers, including lower BMI and a smaller waist circumference.

The authors of the study noted that positive numbers associated with metabolic syndrome criteria — including high numbers of good cholesterol and lower levels of HbA1c, which helps measure blood glucose — were also present in participants who slept longer, but they believe this is a result of the lower BMI and waist circumference and not longer sleep directly.

The researchers did not find any association between sleep duration and diets, disproving their hypothesis that sleep duration can either help or inhibit one’s eating choices.

“… Longer sleepers generally had more favorable metabolic profiles, despite no associations between sleep duration and dietary intakes in this population,” the researchers wrote in their conclusion. “Our findings support the accumulating evidence showing an important contribution of short sleep to metabolic diseases such as obesity.”