Getting a good night’s sleep keeps you slim, according to a study.
According to scientists, just one extra hour of sleep could cut 270 calories from your daily diet, about the same as a serving of McDonald’s fries or a Mars bar.
There are 237 calories in a small serving of fries from McDonald’s, and other popular foods from the fast-food giant with a similar number of calories include a 250-calorie hamburger or six 259-calorie chicken nuggets.
Cutting the extra calories for three years could mean you’ll lose five pounds just by staying in bed.
And best of all, sleepers didn’t have to diet or change what they eat to lose weight.
Getting a good night’s sleep helps your brain keep your appetite in check and prevent overeating.
Dr Esra Tasali, from the University of Chicago, said: “In our study, we just manipulated sleep and had the participants eat whatever they wanted.
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“This was not a weight loss study but, even in just two weeks, we have evidence showing a decrease in caloric intake.
“If healthy sleep habits are maintained over time, this would lead to significant weight loss.
“Many people are working hard to find ways to lower their calorie intake to lose weight; well, just by getting more sleep, you may be able to reduce it substantially.”
The study, published in the journal Jama Internal Medicine, tested the effects of extra sleep in 80 overweight people who slept less than 6.5 hours a night.
Two out of three adults in the UK are overweight or obese.
Losing weight is important because excess fat increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and cancer.
People in the study added an extra 1.2 hours of sleep to each night with the help of doctors.
Struggling to sleep? Try the 10-3-2-1 method
TikTok star Dr. Karan Rajan previously revealed a method that helps you get to headland.
He explained, “Here’s how to sleep better with the 10-3-2-1 trick. Ten hours before bed, no more caffeine.”
“This is the time it takes for your body to clear it from your bloodstream and remove the effects.”
If your usual bedtime is 10 p.m., Dr. Raj’s method means you can’t have any more caffeine after 12 p.m.
His next piece of advice is that three hours before going to bed, avoid large meals.
The next piece of advice is that two hours before going to bed, you should stop working. Dr. Raj says this helps you get into a relaxed state of mind – there’s no way you’ll fall asleep if you’re still obsessing over the thousands of unread emails in your inbox.
An hour before bed, Dr. Raj says to remove the screens.
He added: “That means Netflix too! Blue light inhibits melatonin production, which delays sleep.”
This led them to eat 270 fewer calories, on average, with some people cutting 500 calories a day.
Dr Tasali added: “In our previous work, we understood that sleep is important for appetite regulation.
“We have now shown that in real life, without making any other lifestyle changes, you can sleep more and eat fewer calories.
“This could really help people trying to lose weight.”
The NHS states that losing weight requires a healthy, balanced diet that includes all food groups.
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