Are you getting up early to hit the gym? It turns out actually staying in bed could help you lose weight!
A study’s found spending an extra 90 minutes under the duvet could stop you reaching for sugary foods.
Researchers from King’s College London discovered sleeping for longer leads to better nutritional choices.
42 people took part in the study. Half the participants were given advice on how to increase their sleep, such as keeping a constant bedtime, avoiding caffeine before bed, and establishing a relaxing routine. The remaining volunteers received no advice.
On average, the group who received the advice were able to add 90 minutes to their daily sleep patterns. Within a week, they were naturally choosing healthier foods, eating on average 10g less sugar each day.
No change was seen in the control group.
Researchers say: “Sleep duration and quality is an area of increasing public health concern and has been linked as a factor for various conditions. Our results also suggest increasing time in bed for an hour or so longer may lead to healthier food choices. This further strengthens the link between short sleep and poorer quality diets that has already been observed by previous studies.”
