Go back to sleep, it’s good for you

CATCHING up on lost sleep over weekends may help people keep their weight down, according to a study in South Korea.

Not getting enough sleep can disrupt hormones and metabolism and is known to increase the risk of obesity, the researchers wrote in the journal Sleep.

“Short sleep, usually causing sleep debt, is a risk factor for obesity, hypertension, coronary heart disease, as well as mortality,” said lead author Dr Chang-Ho Yun of the Seoul National University Budang Hospital.

Sleeping in may be better than napping, as the sleep may be deeper and follows the body’s sleep-wake rhythms more closely, Yun said.

The researchers used data from a survey of more than 2 000 people ranging in age from 19 to 82. — Reuters