Energy balance
Sleep restriction (4-5 hours/night) increases 24-hour energy expenditure by ~5-7% in humans, but this metabolic cost is offset by a disproportionate increase in caloric intake (particularly from post-dinner snacks), resulting in a positive energy balance and weight gain.
If you are sleeping less than 7 hours, do not assume you are burning more calories and can eat more. Your body burns slightly more energy when awake, but your hormones (ghrelin/leptin) drive you to eat significantly more, especially late at night. This extra food intake outweighs the extra energy burned, leading to weight gain. Prioritize 7-9 hours of sleep to protect your metabolic health.
When sleep is restricted in humans and food is provided ad libitum, participants have been shown to increase their food intake far beyond the amount of calories needed to meet the energy needs of extended wakefulness and thus enter a state of positive energy balance (16,42,43).
Why this rating
Based on multiple controlled human laboratory studies (e.g., Markwald et al., Spiegel et al.) with consistent findings, though duration is often short-term.
Source
Role of sleep and circadian disruption on energy expenditure and in metabolic predisposition to human obesity and metabolic disease
Andrew W. McHill et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2017
DOI 10.1111/obr.12503
More from this paper
- Circadian misalignment (e.g., shift work, eating at night) decreases 24-hour energy expenditure and impairs glucose metabolism, independent of caloric intake and physical activity levels.Good
- Sleep restriction (4-5 hours/night) impairs glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity to levels similar to those seen in pre-diabetic or diabetic populations.Good
Related findings · Energy balance
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