research
Eighty Minutes Less Sleep Added a Pound
In pooled randomized trials, 95 adults gained about one pound and became more sedentary after six weeks of modest sleep restriction.
Summary
In pooled randomized trials, 95 adults gained about one pound and became more sedentary after six weeks of modest sleep restriction.
Columbia researchers pooled randomized crossover trials in which 95 adults followed their normal sleep schedule and, in another six-week period, delayed bedtime by 90 minutes. Wrist monitors showed roughly 80 minutes less sleep, an average one-pound weight gain, and 17 more sedentary minutes per day. The experiment supports a short-term causal effect under controlled conditions; it does not establish how much weight any individual would gain over a year or replace diet and activity evidence.
Why it matters
In pooled randomized trials, 95 adults gained about one pound and became more sedentary after six weeks of modest sleep restriction.
Limits and context
- The experiment supports a short-term causal effect under controlled conditions; it does not establish how much weight any individual would gain over a year or replace diet and activity evidence.
Key claims
In pooled randomized trials, 95 adults gained about one pound and became more sedentary after six weeks of modest sleep restriction.
Qualification: The experiment supports a short-term causal effect under controlled conditions; it does not establish how much weight any individual would gain over a year or replace diet and activity evidence.
Evidence: source-2026-07-13-009
Sources
- ScienceDaily from Columbia University Irving Medical CenterScienceDaily · secondary reporting
Corrections
No corrections have been recorded for this story.