To Sleep, Perchance to Lose Weight

You’d think skimping on sleep would make you thinner, since being up and about must surely burn more calories than lounging in bed. But research indicates that getting your beauty rest may actually help your waistline.

In a recent Stanford University study, people who slept fewer than eight hours a night had significantly higher levels of a hormone that spikes hunger, and lower levels of one that suppresses appetite—and the less they slept, the more dramatic the effects.

In another study, of more than 8,000 people ages 32 to 59, those who slept four hours a night or less were nearly 75 percent more likely to be obese than those who got between seven and nine hours.

Does this mean hitting the sack can actually help you shed pounds? Not necessarily, says Emmanuel Mignot, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford and author of the hormone study. “The next step is to test that specific premise.”

But if it pans out, this is one weight-loss program most dieters would be happy to sign up for.