Losing Weight Improves Sleep, Mood Patterns

A two-year U.S. clinical study involving 400 men and women confirms that being overweight or obese contributes to poor sleep, and losing weight reverses the situation. The study showed that when obese adults lose even a small percentage of their body weight they show significant improvement in their sleep. People who shed five percent of their pounds by month six of the study reported that they gained an average of 21.6 minutes of sleep a night, compared with only 1.2 minutes for those who lost less than five percent. Those who lost more than five percent of initial weight reported even greater improvements in sleep quality and mood, i.e., symptoms of depression.