Summary of Researchers Discover Key Factor To Make It Easier To Stick To Exercise and Diet Goals:
Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023 suggests that individuals who reported regular and uninterrupted sleep were more successful in adhering to their exercise and diet plans while attempting to lose weight. People who had a higher score for sleep health during a 12-month weight loss program were more likely to follow the caloric intake and exercise components of the program in comparison to peers who scored lower for sleep health. The researchers examined whether good sleep health was related to how well people adhered to the various lifestyle modifications prescribed in a 12-month weight loss program. The weight-loss program included 125 adults who met criteria for overweight or obesity (body mass index of 27-44) without any medical conditions requiring medical supervision of their diet or physical activity.
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The Connection Between Good Sleep Health and Weight Loss Success
Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle, and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023 has suggested that regular and uninterrupted sleep may contribute to successful adherence to exercise and diet plans while attempting to lose weight. The study found that individuals who had higher scores for sleep health—based on regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, and duration—during a 12-month weight loss program were more likely to follow the caloric intake and exercise components of the program in comparison to peers who scored lower for sleep health.
The Study Details
The weight-loss program included 125 adults (average age of 50 years, 91% female, 81% white) who met criteria for overweight or obesity (body mass index of 27-44) without any medical conditions requiring medical supervision of their diet or physical activity. Sleep habits were measured at the beginning of the program, at 6 months, and at 12 months, through patient questionnaires, a sleep diary, and 7-day readings from a wrist-worn device that recorded sleep, waking activity, and rest. These measures were used to score each participant as “good” or “poor” on six measures of sleep: regularity; satisfaction; alertness; timing; efficiency; and duration. Adherence to the weight loss program was measured by percentage of group intervention sessions attended; percentage of days in which each participant ate between 85-115% of their recommended daily calories; and change in daily duration of moderate or vigorous physical activity.
The Findings
After adjusting the sleep health scores for age, gender, race, and whether or not there was a partner sharing the bed, the researchers found that better sleep health was associated with higher rates of attendance at group interval sessions, adherence to caloric intake goals, and improvement in time spent performing moderate-vigorous physical activity. The researchers also found that participants who reported getting regular, uninterrupted sleep did a better job sticking to their exercise and diet plans while trying to lose weight.
Implications and Future Directions
The study’s limitations include that it did not incorporate any intervention to help participants improve their sleep, that the study sample was not recruited based upon participants’ sleep health characteristics, and that the overall sample population had relatively good sleep health at baseline. The findings suggest that optimizing sleep may lead to better lifestyle modification adherence. Improving one’s sleep health is something everyone can do to improve their cardiovascular health and is a key component of the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8. Future research will explore whether clinicians should tell their patients to focus on getting better and more regular sleep before they begin to attempt weight loss or whether they should try to improve their sleep while at the same time modifying their diet and activity levels.
Conclusion
The study’s findings have important implications for population-based health and wellness, particularly for individuals attempting to lose weight. Sleep is no longer just a luxury but a necessity for healthy living. It is hoped that healthcare providers and individuals alike will take note of the importance of sleep health in achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. By prioritizing good sleep habits, people can take control of their health and open doors to better overall wellness.
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