Increasing Sleep Duration: A Novel Approach to Weight Control

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Simultaneous with the epidemic of obesity, there has been an epidemic of short sleep duration. Epidemiological studies have documented a link between short sleep duration and both obesity and obesity- related health problems including hypertension, diabetes, and mortality and basic laboratory studies have identified physiological mechanisms that may explain this association. However, to date, there have been no intervention studies examining the impact of changes in sleep duration on changes in body weight. The Center for Behavioral Intervention Development (CBID) proposed in this application seeks to translate the basic science on sleep duration into a novel intervention to reduce obesity and obesity-related co- morbidities. We propose a programmatic series of studies to develop a sleep + weight loss intervention. The target population for our studies will be young adults (age 25 - 45) where the association between sleep duration and obesity appears strongest, who are overweight or obese (BIVII 25 - 40), and who currently sleep less than six and a half hours per night. This series of studies will be used to examine the effects of increases in sleep duration alone and in combination with a weight loss program on eating and exercise behaviors (measured objectively), and ultimately on body weight. We will also examine the effects of increasing sleep duration on physiological, psychological and cognitive changes that may relate to the changes in eating and activity and adherence to weight control recommendations. The proposed CBID creates a new interdisciplinary team, including investigators in the areas of behavioral weight control, basic and clinical aspects of sleep, fMRI and neuropsychological assessment of cognitive function, eating and exercise behavior, and physiological changes associated with sleep and weight. RELEVANCE: Both obesity and short sleep duration are major health problems, with a variety of negative consequences. Given that short sleep may contribute to the problem of obesity, this proposal seeks to develop an intervention to increase sleep duration and to determine whether increasing sleep alone, or in combination with a weight loss program, can have positive effects on eating, exercise, and ultimately weight control. (End of Abstract)