We already know that those who get less that seven hours of sleep each night are more likely to be obese. We also know that insomnia encourages teenagers to overeat. A new study has now found another link between insomnia and weight loss.
In the latest study, researchers studied 500 participants who were on the DASH diet for six months. Participants were asked to report sleep time and levels of depression, insomnia and stress. Researchers found that those who got between six and eight hours of sleep were more likely to be successful at losing weight, suggesting that clinicians need to look far more closely at sleep issues if they want to see successful behavioral weight loss interventions.
It looks as though insomnia and weight issues are more closely linked than we ever suspected.
Source: International Journal of Obesity
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Last updated: July 1, 2011