Sleep More, Eat Less? The Impact of Sleep Extension on Diet and Health

A groundbreaking study on sleep extension in 42 healthy adults found that increasing sleep duration led to a significant reduction in free sugar intake and improved dietary choices. Over four weeks, participants in the sleep extension group added an average of 55 minutes to their time in bed and 21 minutes to their sleep duration, resulting in a decrease of 9.6g of free sugar consumption per day.

Key Findings:

Study Design:
- Participants: 42 healthy adults aged 18-64 years
- Groups: 21 in sleep extension (SE), 21 in control group
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Methods: Sleep tracked via wrist actigraphy; diet monitored through 7-day food diaries
Sleep Extension Results:
- Time in Bed (TIB) Increased: +55 minutes (95% CI: 37, 72 minutes)
- Sleep Period Extended: +47 minutes (95% CI: 29, 65 minutes)
- Actual Sleep Duration Increased: +21 minutes (95% CI: 6, 36 minutes)
Dietary Impact:
- Free Sugar Intake Reduced: -9.6g/day (P = 0.042) in the SE group compared to +0.7g in the control group
- Carbohydrate Intake Decreased: -22g/day (trend: P = 0.083)
- Fat Intake Reduced: -2.1% of total energy (trend: P = 0.074)
- Protein Intake Maintained: No significant difference
- Adherence to UK Dietary Guidelines Improved: Significant increase in compliance score (P = 0.036)
Energy Balance and Physical Activity:
- Total Energy Intake: No significant difference between groups
- Body Weight and BMI: No changes observed
- Total Energy Expenditure (TEE): No significant variation
- Physical Activity Levels: Maintained with no reduction due to increased sleep
Cardiometabolic Health:
- Glucose & Insulin Levels: No significant changes
- Lipid Profile & Blood Pressure: No effect observed
- Heart Rate Variability (HRV): No significant differences

Why Does This Matter?

37% of US adults sleep ≤6 hours per night, far below the recommended 7-9 hours.
Short sleep is linked to increased energy intake (~385 kcal/day), higher risk of weight gain, insulin resistance, and poor dietary choices.
This study suggests that simply extending sleep could be a practical strategy to reduce sugar consumption, a major factor in obesity and metabolic diseases.

The Bigger Picture: Sleep & Diet

Prior research showed that 5 nights of sleep restriction (≤4 hours/night) led to weight gain.
Sleep deprivation increases appetite hormones (ghrelin) while reducing satiety hormones (leptin), driving cravings for high-calorie foods.
Sleep restriction enhances brain reward responses to unhealthy food, increasing impulsive eating.
This study’s findings reinforce that improving sleep hygiene can be a key tool in fighting obesity and metabolic disorders.

Natural Solutions for Better Sleep

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