SALT LAKE CITY – Sleep duration of less than 6 hours is an independent predictor of future weight gain and obesity in women, findings from the Nurses' Health Study suggest.
Data from more than 68,000 women who participated in the study show that after adjusting for age and body mass index, women sleeping for 5 or fewer hours/night gained 1.04 kg more over 16 years and those sleeping 6 hours/night gained 0.68 kg more than those sleeping 7 hours/night.
The relative risk for gaining 15 kg or more was 1.32 in those sleeping 5 hours/night and 1.12 for those sleeping 6 hours/night, compared with those sleeping 7 hours, Dr. Sanjay R. Patel reported at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.
Furthermore, the relative risk for obesity (BMI over 30 kg/m
Study participants first responded to a questionnaire about sleep habits in 1986 and were followed for 16 years, with additional information about weight and important covariates obtained biannually.
Additional research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms for weight gain as it relates to sleep duration, Dr. Patel said.