Late bedtimes correlate with a higher BMI, study finds

Oct 2, 2015 20:05 GMT  ·  By
Study finds people who go to bed late at night are more likely to gain weight
   Study finds people who go to bed late at night are more likely to gain weight

According to a new study in the science journal Sleep, people who go to bed late at night are more likely to gain weight than individuals who prefer to hit the sack at reasonable hours.

The study, carried out by a team of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, revealed that every hour of lost sleep correlates with a 2.1 points increase in BMI (body mass index) over a 5-year period.

It might not sound like much, but the specialists warn that, over time, this gradual weight gain can easily lead to obesity and all the health complications that come with it.

As detailed in the journal Sleep, the researchers base their claim that late bedtimes correlate with weight gain on data obtained as part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

Specifically, the specialists looked at the bedtimes and the BMI of 3,300 teenagers and young adults who were monitored between the years 1994 to 2009.

Overall sleep hours don't really make a difference

Interestingly, the University of California, Berkeley specialists argue that, according to their findings, it doesn't really matter how much sleep a person gets.

Thus, even those who sleep long hours are prone to weight gain if they have grown accustomed to staying up late and not going to bed until long past midnight.

“These results highlight adolescent bedtimes, not just total sleep time, as a potential target for weight management during the transition to adulthood,” study lead author Lauren Asarnow commented on the team's findings in an interview.

Even more worrying, the specialists say that not even exercising on a regular basis seems to help those who go to bed late at night keep their BMI in check.

Further investigations are needed to better document this link between late bedtimes and weight gain, and try to explain its root cause.

All things considered, it might be that what makes night owls vulnerable to putting on weight is the fact that, while staying up late, they also tend to snack on high-calorie treats.