Daylight Saving Time & Sleep

Are you still sleepy from the switch to Daylight Saving Time? Well, that lack of sleep might be causing you to put on some pounds.

Not getting enough sleep means more than just walking around tired all day long. It can also mean packing on some sneaky weight.

Researchers at the University of Colorado found this out in a recent experiment. They divided adult volunteers into two groups. One group got 9 hours of sleep each night over a 5-day period. The other only got 5 hours. Both groups were given access to large amounts of food and snacks. But the difference was that the ones not getting the sleep also ended up eating more calories during the day, especially by snacking after their dinner meal. And over that short 5-day period they also ended up putting on about 2 more pounds.

This study highlights just how important it is to include sleep into any diet program. The diet might get you to lose a few pounds, but the lack of sleep could be causing you to put them right back on. So, in addition to keeping you awake and alert during the day, getting enough sleep, between 7 and 9 hours a night, can also go a long way to keeping your weight under control.