Insufficient sleep leads to excessive daytime sleepiness, altered mood, and an increased risk for work-related injuries and automotive accidents. A recent study suggests that obese and overweight people may be getting less sleep than normal-weight individuals .
For the study researchers examined patients' total sleep time per 24 hours in relation to their body mass index. More than 1,000 patients completed a questionnaire that assessed demographics, medical problems, sleep habits, and sleep disorders.Based on their findings researchers say they observed that total sleep time decreased as patient BMI increased, except in the severely obese group. The difference in total sleep time between patients with a normal BMI and the others was 16 minutes per day. Thus researchers conclude saying that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary, as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower BMI.
