Even Mild Sleep Deprivation May Lead to Weight Gain

A Columbia University study found that cutting sleep by about 80 minutes a night for six weeks led to modest weight gain in adults at metabolic risk.

Participants gained about 0.45 kg on average, spent more time sitting, and showed higher leptin levels during the sleep-restricted period.

The findings suggest that even mild, common sleep loss may raise obesity and metabolic risks, not just cause fatigue.

Earlier related work from the same group also linked short sleep to worse insulin resistance and more inflammatory immune-cell activity.