To be successful in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, make sure you get enough sleep. It may seem that if you slept less, you would at least be up and active more hours of the day and would weigh less. In fact, the opposite is true. People who do not get adequate sleep weigh more than those who do. Getting enough sleep, at least 7 hours per night, is a good first step to creating a lifestyle that supports a healthy weight.

References:

Burmeister L.F., Kohatsu M.D., Merchant, J.A, Stromquist A.M., Tsai R., VanGilder R., Young T. 2006. Sleep duration and body mass index in a rural population. Arch Intern Medicine 166:1701-1705.

Boden-Albala B., Gangwisch J.E., Heymsfield S.B., Malaspina D. 2005. Inadequate sleep as a risk factor for obesity: Analysis of the NHANES I. Sleep 28(10):1217-1220.

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