Can Losing 80 Minutes of Sleep a Night Lead to Weight Gain?
A groundbreaking new study from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has confirmed what many health experts have long suspected: even mild, chronic sleep deprivation can subtly contribute to weight gain.
The research, published on July 6, 2026, in the prestigious journal Annals of Internal Medicine, tracked the sleep patterns of 95 adults who typically enjoyed 7–8 hours of sleep per night.
During a six-week phase, participants were instructed to delay their bedtime by 90 minutes, mimicking the real-world sleep patterns of approximately 30% of adults. The results were striking:
- Participants gained an average of one pound over just six weeks
- Their daily sedentary time increased by an average of 17 minutes per day
- Men and postmenopausal women spent nearly 30 extra minutes sitting each day
Lead researcher Professor Marie-Pierre St-Onge of Columbia’s Department of Medicine warned that the findings point to a much larger health risk than the modest weight gain alone suggests.
Further analyses of the same participants revealed increased insulin resistance and signs of cardiac inflammation — especially in postmenopausal women. The study authors stress that prioritising adequate sleep, alongside a healthy diet and regular physical activity, could be a powerful yet overlooked strategy for preventing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Source: ScienceDaily – “Losing just 80 minutes of sleep a night could make you gain weight” (July 13, 2026)