Study Reveals Improved Sleep Health Linked to Better Adherence to a Weight Loss Plan
Improving sleep health is essential for optimal cardiovascular health, according to a recent study presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023.[0] The study revealed that better sleep is linked to better adherence to a weight loss plan.[1]
The study included 125 participants with an average age of 50 and 91% female.[2] The participants had to meet the criteria for overweight or obesity without any medical conditions requiring supervision of their diet or physical activity. Researchers assessed the link between sleep quality and adherence to a weight loss plan through patient questionnaires, a sleep diary, and seven-day readings from a device worn on their wrists that tracked sleep, waking activity, and rest.[3]
A score of 0-6 was calculated for each participant, with one point added for each “good” measure of sleep health. On average, participants had a sleep health score of 4.5 out of 6 at the start, 6 months, and 12 months of the study.
It was discovered that 79 percent of participants attended group sessions in the first half of the year, while 62 percent attended them in the second half.[4] Additionally, participants met their daily caloric intake goals on 36 percent of days in the first six months and 21 percent in the second six months.[4] Participants increased their total daily time spent in moderate to vigorous activity by 8.7 minutes in the first six months, but their total time spent decreased by 3.7 minutes in the second six months.[3] While there was an association between better sleep health scores and an increase in physical activity, it was not strong enough to be statistically significant, meaning that researchers cannot rule out that the results were due to chance.[2]
Dr. Christopher E. Kline, an associate professor in the department of health and human development at the University of Pittsburgh and one of the study’s authors, said: “Although we did not intervene on sleep health in this study, these results suggest that optimizing sleep may lead to better lifestyle modification adherence.”[1]
This study did not include any interventions for better sleep, its participants were not chosen based on their sleep health, and the sample size had generally good sleep health at the beginning of the study.[0] As the sample was mainly white and female, it is uncertain if the results can be applied to more diverse populations.[0]
0. “A Good Night’s Sleep May Make It Easier to Stick To Exercise and Diet Goals” Neuroscience News, 3 Mar. 2023, https://neurosciencenews.com/sleep-diet-exercise-22705
1. “Weight loss: Good sleep may be key to greater adherence” Medical News Today, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-poor-sleep-impact-your-weight-loss-goals
2. “Can a good night’s sleep make it easier to stick to a diet?” Indiana Gazette, 4 Mar. 2023, https://www.indianagazette.com/leisure/can-a-good-night-s-sleep-make-it-easier-to-stick-to-a-diet/article_f3fd6119-ee70-5c4d-9aea-2b3ccfcc7831.html
3. “Regular sleep could help those who are trying to lose weight: preliminary research” KAKE, 4 Mar. 2023, https://www.kake.com/story/48493515/regular-sleep-could-help-those-who-are-trying-to-lose-weight-preliminary-research
4. “How a simple tweak to your daily routine could help you shed pounds…” The US Sun, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.the-sun.com/health/7540511/simple-tweak-daily-routine-help-shed-pounds/
