(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Getting too much or too little sleep could add
pounds to your waistline and leave you at risk for heart problems and diabetes.
A new study in the journal SLEEP reveals in people younger than 40 years old,
too little or too much sleep was associated with significant increases in body
mass index (BMI) and abdominal body fat.
Compared to people who slept six to seven hours each night, those who reported
five hours of sleep or less per night experienced an average BMI increase of
1.8kg/m2 higher and larger accumulations of both subcutaneous adipose tissue and
visceral adipose tissue fat. Those who slept eight hours or more had a BMI
increase of 0.8kg/m2 higher and, like those who slept too little, saw larger
accumulations of body fat at the waistline.
Of
the over 1,100 African-American and hispanic participants in the study, 17
percent of sample reported sleeping five hours of less each night, 55 percent
reported sleeping six to seven hours and 28 percent reported eight or more hours
of sleep.
Among participants younger than 40 years old, hispanic men reported short nights
of sleep most frequently, and hispanic women most frequently reported long
nights of sleep.
People who reported sleeping five hours or less each night consumed more total
calories than either those with a normal sleep pattern or those who slept more
than eight hours per night.
Source: SLEEP, March 1, 2010
