WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA)--Want to lose weight? Exercise and a good diet may not be enough. You may need to sleep more.
According to U.S. researchers, people who dont' get enough sleep, even though they exercise more than their counter-parts, gain weight. The researchers call these people "short sleepers."
Researchers looked at the the sleep activity and energy exerted of volunteer nurses from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Those identified as "short sleepers" had an average body mass index (BMI) of 28.3--which is consideered overweight. Compared with a 24.5 BMI, which is considered normal for people who get enough sleep.
Most sleep experts advise that people get 8-hours of sleep a night.
The researchers surmised that having sleepless nights can reduce levels of the hunger hormone called leptin, causing people to eat more.
The overweight individuals in the study exercised/walked more and burned up almost 1,000 calores more per day than those who did not gain weight.
Dr. Arn Eliasson presented the findings of this study at the American Thoracic Society's annaul meeting.