Skimping on sleep may have negative consequences on a person’s waistline, according to a recent study published in the medical journal SLEEP.

As part of multiple long-term studies on a group of 240 adolescents, the study explored the relationship between sleep duration and calorie consumption, said Amy Storfer-Isser, one researcher of the study and senior research associate in the Center for Clinical Investigation at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio.

‘We found that the people who were sleeping less consumed more calories from fat and less calories from protein or carbohydrates,’ Storfer-Isser said.

The study also revealed participants who didn’t sleep as long were more likely to consume a large percentage of their daily calories between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., Storfer-Isser said.

A week prior to their overnight lab tests, participants were asked to wear an actigraph, a noninvasive device placed on an arm that records sleep patterns and cycles, Storfer-Isser said.

Twenty four-hour food recall reviews were conducted simultaneously and measured how much the participants ate and where their calories were coming from, Storfer-Isser said.

Since the late 1990s, researchers have been following the same adolescent group in a series of three studies — the first when participants were between ages 8 and 11, the second when participants were between ages 12 and 15, and the most recent when participants were between ages 15 and 19, Storfer-Isser said.

While some physiological studies have shown increased appetite is due to hormone regulation problems or other metabolic disorders, research has yet to indicate whether the relationship between lack of sleep and weight gain is triggered more by physiological or psychological needs, Storfer-Isser said.

‘I’m sure it’s a combination of physiological and psychological triggers, but no one is really sure of it,’ Storfer-Isser said. ‘Staying up longer does leave more opportunities for snacking.’

Storfer-Isser said getting enough sleep is important for overall well-being, regardless of impact on weight.

‘Insufficient sleep has a lot of health consequences in both the long term and the short term,’ she said.

Lynn Brann, assistant professor of nutrition in the College of Human Ecology, said people tend to associate weight gain with food intake and exercise. But sleep plays a role in the obesity epidemic, and there are many reasons lack of sleep leads to increased snacking, she said.

‘Some of it could be physiological in that the body might release more cortisol without enough sleep,’ Brann said. ‘The other reason could be stress and boredom, especially with college students. Stress often coincidences with an all-nighter, leading to mindless eating or drinking.’

Cortisol is the hormone secreted by the adrenal gland during times of stress.

Some students just might not be aware they are consuming more calories, especially when they are tired, Brann said.

‘Lack of sleep can lead to those extra pounds over time,’ Brann said. ‘If they aren’t getting enough sleep, then they have to be conscious of what they are putting into their bodies. My recommendation is for students to keep a plan in mind and have healthier alternatives available to them.’

Joyce Kim, junior political science major, said she agrees with Brann and tends to crave foods that are particularly high in fat, sugar and salt content on days when she didn’t get enough sleep the night before.

Brann recommended students keep healthier snacks in their dorm rooms or apartments, rather than heading to the vending machine, especially late at night.

‘It is such a complicated food environment that we live in,’ she said. ‘Part of it is learning to manipulate that environment so that you don’t overeat.’

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Published on September 20, 2010 at 12:00 pm