Can Too Much Sleep Cause Weight Gain?

At the top of the list of menopausal symptoms women complain about most frequently is the inability to have a decent night sleep,due to hot and cold flashes, and weight creep.  The research to date has shown how sleep deprivation can be a factor in weight gain at any age.   But apparently, too much sleep can be just as bad if the results of a six-year Canadian study holds water.

Researchers monitored 276 adults, aged 21-64 from the Quebec Family Study ( a long-running study of the genetics relatedto obesity).  Changes in participants’ body mass index (BMI) were compared between short (5-6 hours), average (7-8 hours) and long (9-10 hours) sleeper groups. The results? Short duration and long duration sleepers were 35% and 25% more likely to gain 10-12 pounds as compared with average duration sleepers.  The lesson for us?  The pendulum swings both ways.  Too little or too much shut eye is not a good thing when it comes to managing your weight.  As far as I am concerned,  my goal is seven hours, but I’ll take what I can get.  How many hours of sleep do you need to feel great?

You can find an abstract of the study here.