Bedtime change may help some individuals lose weight, study finds

Key Points:

• A study led by NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing found that adults with prediabetes who fell asleep earlier lost roughly 1.3 pounds more over eight weeks per hour earlier bedtime, though causation was not established.
• The randomized trial involved 196 adults with prediabetes and short sleep duration, comparing lifestyle education alone to lifestyle education plus behavioral sleep coaching aimed at advancing bedtime.
• While sleep coaching improved sleep quality and reduced daytime drowsiness, it did not lead to significantly greater weight loss or better blood sugar control compared to lifestyle education alone.
• Researchers suggest that earlier sleep may benefit weight loss by aligning eating patterns with the body's metabolic rhythms and reducing late-night exposure to artificial light and hunger-related hormones.
• The study's short duration, reliance on self-reported sleep data, and modest changes in bedtime limit conclusions about long-term effects and causality; further research is needed.