But these types of studies have had limited scope and have not measured long-term weight loss success, which is considered to be a five per cent body mass reduction for greater than 12 months. And American sleep researchers found just one less hour of sleep a night can adversely affect changes in body composition. Swedish researchers have found a link between sleep patterns and the gut microbiome’s role in gaining weight. Another study found that a calorie-restricted diet led to less fat loss when participants slept for just 5.5 hours a night (compared to 8.5 hours a night). A Korean study showed sleep deprivation could be related to an increase in fat mass and obesity. Over the years, research has shown interesting connections between sleep and body weight.

The upshot? If you exercise regularly, regardless of how much you sleep, you’re likely to be better off than those who are not exercising and have poor sleep.Ī good dose of physical activity can counteract some of the adverse health effects of unhealthy sleep patterns.įORGET DIET AND EXERCISE. However, getting a good dose of physical activity can counteract some of the adverse health effects of unhealthy sleep patterns (although exercise won't be as beneficial for your body if you’re lacking sleep). When it comes to identifying whether you’ll benefit from more exercise or more sleep, the experts say it varies depending on the individual. Study participants who had both low sleep and low physical activity levels were 57 per cent more likely to die from heart disease, stroke or cancer. And if you don’t get enough physical activity, the effects of poor sleep can be magnified.

The findings show poor quality sleep can cut years from your life. This fascinating study is the first ever to explore how sleep and exercise interact, highlighting how the effects of sleep and physical activity levels are intertwined. If you’re feeling tired, what should you do? Stay snuggled up in bed with one hand on the snooze button? Or wipe the sleep from your eyes and bust out a morning workout? This is exactly what researchers set out to unearth when they dove into the sleep and physical activity data from 380,000 middle-aged men and women. SNOOZE OR SWEAT: WHAT WILL BENEFIT YOUR HEALTH THE MOST?

Fitness sleep expert