MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, N.Y., July 28 (Our New York News) — Cutting back on sleep for even a few weeks may do more than leave people tired. A Columbia University study found that adults who slept about 80 minutes less a night for six weeks gained about 1 pound on average and became more sedentary.
The research, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that modest sleep loss can quietly affect weight and daily activity — not in a dramatic way, but enough that the effect could add up over time.
What the study found
Columbia researchers studied 95 adults who were already at elevated risk for heart or metabolic disease. The study compared six weeks of adequate sleep with six weeks of restricted sleep.
During the sleep-restriction phase, participants gained about 1 pound on average. Their waist size also increased slightly, by about half a centimeter.
The study also found that people moved less when they slept less. Sedentary time rose by an average of 17 minutes a day overall. Among men and postmenopausal women, sedentary time increased by nearly 30 minutes a day, Columbia said.
Sedentary time means time spent awake but sitting or lying down with very little physical movement.
Why the finding matters
The main takeaway is not that one short night of sleep will cause large weight gain. The average change in the study was modest.
But the Columbia team said the sleep pattern was meant to reflect what many adults experience repeatedly over time. Faris Zuraikat, the study’s first author, said in Columbia’s news release that the gain was small over six weeks, but that stretching the pattern across a full year could lead to clinically meaningful weight gain.
That matters because sleep is one of several factors that can shape body weight, along with food intake, activity, and overall health. The study adds to evidence that sleep loss may make it harder to maintain weight, especially if the pattern becomes routine.
Did the study show changes in body fat or muscle?
Reports of the paper said the weight gain did not come with significant changes in body fat or muscle mass. That suggests the change was modest and not a major shift in body composition over the short study period.
What the study does not prove
The findings do not show that sleep loss alone causes major weight gain in every person. The study measured averages, and the changes were small. It also does not mean everyone who sleeps less will gain weight.
Still, for New York City readers, the research is a local reminder that the health effects of sleep may be more immediate than they seem. The work came from Columbia University and Columbia University Irving Medical Center in Manhattan, placing the study close to home even though the medical question is broader than one city.
