Research topic
Report
Detailed summary
Empirical studies support a significant relationship between short sleep duration and increased risk of obesity or weight gain across various demographics [1, 3, 4].
The gathered empirical studies span a variety of contexts and populations, providing robust evidence linking shortened sleep duration to higher obesity risk and weight gain. For example, research demonstrates this relationship longitudinally in children, from childhood through adolescence, implicating insufficient nighttime sleep as a significant risk factor for early-life obesity [1, 3]. Additionally, adult populations are not exempt, as demonstrated in studies where short sleep duration is directly associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and obesity in both genders, though some studies suggest age and gender may modulate this relationship [4, 44]. These findings are pivotal as they underline sleep duration as a potentially modifiable risk factor for obesity across the lifespan.
Categories of papers
The most important categories to highlight regarding the research on sleep duration and weight control are those studies that direct empirical investigations on the relationship between sleep duration and body mass index (BMI), obesity, or weight gain among different demographics and those exploring the mechanisms by which sleep affecting weight (e.g., appetite hormones, energy intake, and expenditure). These categories encapsulate the core of the research interest, providing both direct evidence of the sleep-weight relationship and insights into the underlying biological or behavioral links.
Title 1: "Direct Empirical Evidence on Sleep Duration and Weight Control" Description: Studies that examine the relationship between sleep duration and changes in body weight, BMI, or risk of obesity. References: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 23, 32, 33, 34, 39, 41, 42, 44]
Title 2: "Mechanisms Linking Sleep Duration and Obesity" Description: Research that investigates hormonal, behavioral, or metabolic mechanisms by which sleep duration can influence weight gain or obesity. References: [4, 7, 19, 31, 50, 52, 54]
Title 3: "Influence of Sleep Quality and Timing on Weight Control" Description: Studies focusing on how factors related to sleep, beyond duration, such as quality and timing, impact body weight or obesity risk. References: [12, 17, 18, 28, 47]
Title 4: "Demographic Variabilities in the Sleep-Duration and Weight Relationship" Description: Investigations into how the relationship between sleep duration and weight control varies across different age groups, genders, or cultural backgrounds. References: [21, 26, 27, 29, 30, 36, 44, 45, 53]