Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center investigated what happens when adults sleep about 80 minutes less each night, writes Science Daily.
Participants followed this sleep pattern for six weeks while researchers measured, among other things, their sleep, physical activity, and body weight.
The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, was designed to reflect the kind of sleep deprivation many adults experience in everyday life.
Previous studies have often focused on people who slept only a few hours per night, a situation that is less common.
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Signs of an impact
The researchers also referred to earlier studies involving the same participants.
In those studies, shorter sleep was linked to increased insulin resistance in some women and to more signs of inflammation in the heart among people at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.
The researchers emphasize that further research is still needed to better understand these connections.
Weight changed
After six weeks, participants had gained an average of about half a kilogram.
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They also spent more time being sedentary than during the period when they slept their usual amount.
According to the researchers, the findings suggest that even a relatively small but prolonged lack of sleep may increase the risk of becoming overweight.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.