Skipping sleep may pack on pounds faster than you think, new study finds - Fox News

Video Sleep expert dissects social media sleep trends During 'Fox & Friends' Wellness Week, sleep expert Dr. Rebecca Robbins analyzes popular sleep trends including melatonin, mouth taping, cooling pillows and sleep trackers. She explains melatonin's role in circadian rhythm, mouth taping benefits for nasal breathing and the importance of a 65-degree Fahrenheit sleep environment. Robbins advises adults aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health and longevity. Regularly cutting back on sleep could cause the number on the scale to creep up, according to new research. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that adults who got about 90 minutes less sleep each night for six weeks gained roughly one pound on average compared with periods when they got enough rest. Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center studied 95 adults who were already at risk for heart or metabolic disease, comparing six weeks of adequate sleep with six weeks of cutting about 90 minutes of sleep each night. DOCTORS SAY 8 FORGOTTEN HABITS COULD HELP FIGHT STRESS, OBESITY AND CHRONIC DISEASE Regularly cutting back on sleep may cause the number on the scale to increase, a new study finds. (iStock) By the end of the sleep-restricted phase, participants weighed about one pound more on average and had slightly larger waistlines. They also spent more time sitting, although their levels of moderate and vigorous exercise remained about the same. While participants gained weight, researchers did not detect significant changes in body fat or muscle mass. They also did not track how much participants ate, so it's unclear what drove the increase. Dr. Somi Javaid, an Ohio-based OB-GYN and founder of HerMD who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that sleep plays an important role in regulating the body's metabolism. Javaid said chronic sleep deprivation can make it harder for the body to regulate weight, but noted that women going through menopause may be especially vulnerable because sleep problems become more common during that stage of life. "We are destroying women's sleep at the exact life stage when their metabolism is least able to absorb the hit, then telling them to eat less and exercise more," Javaid said. Adults gained about one pound on average and had slightly larger waistlines after six weeks of restricted sleep, compared with periods when they got enough rest. (iStock) She added that the American Heart Association now recognizes sleep as one of its "Life's Essential 8" for heart health and recommends adults get seven to nine hours of sleep each night.