Poor sleep duration and quality promote hormonal imbalance, which leads to obesity through overeating and consuming foods rich in calories. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend the connection between sleep length, sleep quality, and obesity.
A study has shown a consistent and significant negative association between hours of sleep and obesity. 229 people were enrolled in the Sleep Type 2 Diabetes study in the UK where sleep duration was self-reported. Sleep was categorized as short if it was lesser than 6 hours in a night, long if was more than 9 hours in a night or normal if it was between 6 and 9 hours in a night.
Obesity was assessed using body mass index
(BMI) and waist circumference. The study showed that short sleep duration is associated with an increase in BMI and waist circumference and weight gain in people with Type 2 Diabetes.
Source: Diabetic Medicine, 2025
