Snoozing like a baby. Ignore the paparazzi.
Do you want to lose weight and keep it off? Then you might want to pay more attention to your sleep. That’s what a new study suggests, anyway.
How the Study Was Conducted
The study was presented at a scientific meeting of the American Heart Association, where experts share the latest findings on how to keep your heart healthy and happy. The researchers wanted to see if sleep health had anything to do with how well people followed a weight loss program. Sleep health is not just about how long you sleep, but also how regular, satisfying, alert, timely and efficient your sleep is.
The researchers recruited 125 adults who were overweight or obese and wanted to shed some pounds. They put them on a 12-month weight loss program that involved eating less calories and moving more. They also measured their sleep health by asking them questions, having them keep a sleep diary and wearing a device that tracked their sleep and activity.
What the Study Found
What did they find? Well, they found that people who had better sleep health were more likely to stick to their weight loss plan. They attended more group sessions, ate closer to their calorie goals and increased their physical activity. They also lost more weight and fat than those who had poorer sleep health.
The only thing worse than sleeping with electrodes on your head is waking up with them still on.
What the Study Means
The researchers said that improving sleep health may help people achieve their weight loss goals and improve their cardiovascular health. They also reminded us that sleep is one of the eight things that the American Heart Association recommends for optimal heart health, along with eating healthy food, being physically active, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and controlling cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
What the Study Lacks
Of course, the study was not perfect. It did not try to improve people’s sleep health, it only measured it. It also had mostly white and female participants, so it may not apply to everyone. And it did not tell us whether it is better to improve sleep before or during weight loss.
But hey, it’s still good news for those who love to snooze. So go ahead and catch some zzz’s. Your heart and your waistline will thank you.
Source : American Heart Association Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023, Abstract 472
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