The Role of Sleep Duration in the Regulation of Energy Balance: Effects on Energy Intakes and Expenditure
Open accessAbstract
Short sleep duration and obesity are common occurrence in today's society. An extensive literature from cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiological studies shows a relationship between short sleep and prevalence of obesity and weight gain. However, causality cannot be inferred from such studies. Clinical intervention studies have examined whether reducing sleep in normal sleepers, typically sleeping 7-9 h/night, can affect energy intake, energy expenditure, and endocrine regulators of energy balance. The aim of this review is to evaluate studies that have assessed food intake, energy expenditure, and leptin and ghrelin levels after periods of restricted and normal sleep. Most studies support the notion that restricting sleep increases food intake, but the effects on energy expenditure are mixed. Differences in methodology and component of energy expenditure analyzed may account for the discrepancies. Studies examining the effects of sleep on leptin and ghrelin have provided conflicting results with increased, reduced, or unchanged leptin and ghrelin levels after restricted sleep compared to normal sleep. Energy balance of study participants and potential sex differences may account for the varied results. Studies should strive for constant energy balance and feeding schedules when assessing the role of sleep on hormonal profile. Although studies suggest that restricting sleep may lead to weight gain via increased food intake, research is needed to examine the impact on energy expenditure and endocrine controls. Also, studies have been of short duration, and there is little knowledge on the reverse question: does increasing sleep duration in short sleepers lead to negative energy balance?
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Data on leptin and ghrelin after sleep restriction are mixed, with studies showing increased, reduced, or no difference in leptin and increased or not different ghrelin.
“However, data in this area are mixed,34 with studies showing increased,57,59,65–68 reduced,69,70 or no difference in 56,63,64,71,72 leptin levels with sleep restriction. Similarly, ghrelin levels have been reported to be increased69,70,72–74 or not different56,60,64,71 with sleep restriction relative to habitual sleep.”
From Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2016) · cites this paper as [34]
Data on the effects of sleep duration on energy expenditure are mixed.
“On the flip side of the energy balance equation, data on the effects of sleep duration on energy expenditure are also mixed.34”
From Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2016) · cites this paper as [34]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Taheri, S., Lin, L., Austin, D., Young, T., & Mignot, E. (2004) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062 · Cited by 2,477 · see citing works
Spiegel, K., Tasali, E., Penev, P., & Cauter, E. V. (2004) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-141-11-200412070-00008 · Cited by 2,459 · see citing works
Meta-Analysis of Short Sleep Duration and Obesity in Children and Adults
Cappuccio, F. P., Taggart, F. M., Kandala, N.-B., Currie, A., Peile, E., Stranges, S., & Miller, M. A. (2008) · Sleep · doi:10.1093/sleep/31.5.619 · Cited by 2,076 · see citing works
Short Sleep Duration and Weight Gain: A Systematic Review
Patel, S. R., & Hu, F. B. (2008) · Obesity · doi:10.1038/oby.2007.118 · Cited by 1,505 · see citing works
Spiegel, K., Leproult, R., L’Hermite-Balériaux, M., Copinschi, G., Penev, P. D., & Van Cauter, E. (2004) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/jc.2004-1003 · Cited by 1,006 · see citing works
Buxton, O. M., Cain, S. W., O’Connor, S. P., Porter, J. H., Duffy, J. F., Wang, W., Czeisler, C. A., & Shea, S. A. (2012) · Science Translational Medicine · doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3003200 · Cited by 932 · see citing works
Inadequate Sleep as a Risk Factor for Obesity: Analyses of the NHANES I
Gangwisch, J. E., Malaspina, D., Boden-Albala, B., & Heymsfield, S. B. (2005) · Sleep · doi:10.1093/sleep/28.10.1289 · Cited by 905 · see citing works
Is Sleep Duration Associated With Childhood Obesity? A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Chen, X., Beydoun, M. A., & Wang, Y. (2008) · Obesity · doi:10.1038/oby.2007.63 · Cited by 796 · see citing works
Sleep curtailment is accompanied by increased intake of calories from snacks
Nedeltcheva, A. V., Kilkus, J. M., Imperial, J., Kasza, K., Schoeller, D. A., & Penev, P. D. (2009) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.26574 · Cited by 717 · see citing works
Sleep Restriction for 1 Week Reduces Insulin Sensitivity in Healthy Men
Buxton, O. M., Pavlova, M., Reid, E. W., Wang, W., Simonson, D. C., & Adler, G. K. (2010) · Diabetes · doi:10.2337/db09-0699 · Cited by 604 · cited 4× · see citing works
“This may be due to the multiple components of EE: RMR, sleeping metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, physical activity EE, non-exercise activity thermogenesis.”
InfluentialChaput, J., Després, J., Bouchard, C., & Tremblay, A. (2007) · Obesity · doi:10.1038/oby.2007.512 · Cited by 498 · see citing works
St-Onge, M.-P., & Gallagher, D. (2010) · Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.nut.2009.07.004 · Cited by 494 · see citing works
Self-citationSt-Onge, M.-P., Roberts, A. L., Chen, J., Kelleman, M., O’Keeffe, M., RoyChoudhury, A., & Jones, P. J. (2011) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.013904 · Cited by 463 · see citing works
Self-citationAcute partial sleep deprivation increases food intake in healthy men
Brondel, L., Romer, M. A., Nougues, P. M., Touyarou, P., & Davenne, D. (2010) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28523 · Cited by 442 · see citing works
Schmid, S. M., Hallschmid, M., Jauch-Chara, K., Wilms, B., Benedict, C., Lehnert, H., Born, J., & Schultes, B. (2009) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27984 · Cited by 400 · see citing works
SCHMID, S. M., HALLSCHMID, M., JAUCH‐CHARA, K., BORN, J., & SCHULTES, B. (2008) · Journal of Sleep Research · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00662.x · Cited by 370 · see citing works
Jung, C. M., Melanson, E. L., Frydendall, E. J., Perreault, L., Eckel, R. H., & Wright, K. P. (2011) · The Journal of Physiology · doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2010.197517 · Cited by 318 · see citing works
Acute Sleep Deprivation Enhances the Brain's Response to Hedonic Food Stimuli: An fMRI Study
Benedict, C., Brooks, S. J., O'Daly, O. G., Almèn, M. S., Morell, A., Åberg, K., Gingnell, M., Schultes, B., Hallschmid, M., Broman, J.-E., et al. (2012) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/jc.2011-2759 · Cited by 308 · see citing works
Sleep restriction leads to increased activation of brain regions sensitive to food stimuli
St-Onge, M.-P., McReynolds, A., Trivedi, Z. B., Roberts, A. L., Sy, M., & Hirsch, J. (2012) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.027383 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Self-citationAcute sleep deprivation reduces energy expenditure in healthy men
Benedict, C., Hallschmid, M., Lassen, A., Mahnke, C., Schultes, B., Schiöth, H. B., Born, J., & Lange, T. (2011) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.006460 · Cited by 243 · see citing works
Impact of acute sleep restriction on cortisol and leptin levels in young women
Omisade, A., Buxton, O. M., & Rusak, B. (2010) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.01.028 · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Influence of Partial Sleep Deprivation on Energy Balance and Insulin Sensitivity in Healthy Women
Bosy-Westphal, A., Hinrichs, S., Jauch-Chara, K., Hitze, B., Later, W., Wilms, B., Settler, U., Peters, A., Kiosz, D., & Müller, M. J. (2008) · Obesity Facts · doi:10.1159/000158874 · Cited by 221 · see citing works
Sleep enhances nocturnal plasma ghrelin levels in healthy subjects
Dzaja, A., Dalal, M. A., Himmerich, H., Uhr, M., Pollmächer, T., & Schuld, A. (2004) · American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00527.2003 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Gonnissen, H. K. J., Hursel, R., Rutters, F., Martens, E. A. P., & Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2013) · British Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1017/s0007114512001894 · Cited by 170 · see citing works
Eating patterns and nutritional characteristics associated with sleep duration
Kim, S., DeRoo, L. A., & Sandler, D. P. (2011) · Public Health Nutrition · doi:10.1017/s136898001000296x · Cited by 159 · see citing works
Ghrelin, sleep reduction and evening preference: relationships to CLOCK 3111 T/C SNP and weight loss
Garaulet, M., Sánchez-Moreno, C., Smith, C. E., Lee, Y.-C., Nicolás, F., & Ordovás, J. M. (2011) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017435 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
PEJOVIC, S., VGONTZAS, A. N., BASTA, M., TSAOUSSOGLOU, M., ZOUMAKIS, E., VGONTZAS, A., BIXLER, E. O., & CHROUSOS, G. P. (2010) · Journal of Sleep Research · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2869.2010.00844.x · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Short Sleep Duration Is Independently Associated With Overweight and Obesity in Quebec Children
Chaput, J., Lambert, M. A., Gray‐Donald, K., McGrath, J. J., Tremblay, M. S., O’Loughlin, J. L., & Tremblay, A. (2011) · Canadian Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1007/bf03404179 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Chaput, J., Després, J., Bouchard, C., & Tremblay, A. (2011) · SLEEP · doi:10.5665/sleep.1264 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Sleep duration and circulating adipokine levels
Hayes, A. L., Xu, F., Babineau, D., & Patel, S. R. (2011) · Sleep · doi:10.1093/sleep/34.2.147 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Treatment of obesity with extension of sleep duration: a randomized, prospective, controlled trial
Cizza, G., Marincola, P., Mattingly, M., Williams, L., Mitler, M. M., Skarulis, M. C., & Csákó, G. (2010) · Clinical Trials · doi:10.1177/1740774510368298 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Simpson, N. S., Banks, S., & Dinges, D. F. (2010) · Biological Research For Nursing · doi:10.1177/1099800410366301 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Sleep duration and obesity-related risk factors in the rural Midwest
Stamatakis, K. A., & Brownson, R. C. (2007) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.11.008 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Hsieh, S. D., Muto, T., Murase, T., Tsuji, H., & Arase, Y. (2011) · Internal Medicine · doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.50.5844 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Hursel, R., Rutters, F., Gonnissen, H. K. J., Martens, E. A. P., & Westerterp‐Plantenga, M. S. (2011) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.017632 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Park, S. E., Kim, H. M., Kim, D. H., Kim, J., Cha, B. S., & Kim, D. J. (2009) · Obesity · doi:10.1038/oby.2008.586 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Update on Energy Homeostasis and Insufficient Sleep
Penev, P. D. (2012) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/jc.2012-1067 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Gender Differences in the Association between Sleep Duration and Body Composition: The Cardia Study
St‐Onge, M., Perumean‐Chaney, S. E., Desmond, R. A., Lewis, C. E., Yan, L. L., Person, S. D., & Allison, D. B. (2009) · International Journal of Endocrinology · doi:10.1155/2010/726071 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Self-citationSleep duration and obesity in a population-based study
Anic, G. M., Titus-Ernstoff, L. T., Newcomb, P. A., Trentham‐Dietz, A., & Egan, K. M. (2010) · Sleep Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2009.11.013 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Sleep deprivation and energy metabolism: to sleep, perchance to eat?
Penev, P. D. (2007) · Current Opinion in Endocrinology Diabetes and Obesity · doi:10.1097/med.0b013e3282be9093 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
BUMAN, M. P., HEKLER, E. B., BLIWISE, D. L., & KING, A. C. (2011) · Journal of Sleep Research · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2869.2010.00866.x · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Restricted energy intake affects nocturnal body temperature and sleep patterns
Karklin, A., Driver, H. S., & Buffenstein, R. (1994) · American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1093/ajcn/59.2.346 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Is Sleep Duration Associated With Obesity in Older Australian Adults?
Magee, C., Caputi, P., & Iverson, D. (2010) · Journal of Aging and Health · doi:10.1177/0898264310372780 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
No Association Between Leptin Levels and Sleep Duration or Quality in Obese Adults
Knutson, K. L., Galli, G., Zhao, X., Mattingly, M., Cizza, G., & Study, ;. F. T. N. S. E. (2011) · Obesity · doi:10.1038/oby.2011.248 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Sleep and Eating Behavior in Adults at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
Kilkus, J. M., Booth, J. N., Bromley, L. E., Darukhanavala, A. P., Imperial, J., & Penev, P. D. (2011) · Obesity · doi:10.1038/oby.2011.319 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
How much may I eat? Calorie estimates based upon energy expenditure prediction equations
Heymsfield, S. B., Harp, J. B., Rowell, P. N., Nguyen, A. M., & Pietrobelli, A. (2006) · Obesity Reviews · doi:10.1111/j.1467-789x.2006.00249.x · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Hypothalamic Control of Sleep in Aging
Rolls, A. (2012) · NeuroMolecular Medicine · doi:10.1007/s12017-012-8175-0 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
St-Onge, M.-P., Grandner, M. A., Brown, D., Conroy, M. B., Jean-Louis, G., Coons, M., & Bhatt, D. L. (2016) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/cir.0000000000000444 · Cited by 1,044 · see citing works
Self-citationShort sleep duration and dietary intake: epidemiologic evidence, mechanisms, and health implications
Dashti, H. S., Scheer, F. A., Jacques, P. F., Lamon-Fava, S., & Ordovás, J. M. (2015) · Advances in Nutrition · doi:10.3945/an.115.008623 · Cited by 503 · see citing works
The metabolic burden of sleep loss
Schmid, S. M., Hallschmid, M., & Schultes, B. (2015) · The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(14)70012-9 · Cited by 328 · see citing works
Nutrients, Clock Genes, and Chrononutrition
Oike, H., Oishi, K., & Kobori, M. (2014) · Current Nutrition Reports · doi:10.1007/s13668-014-0082-6 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
Kant, A. K., & Graubard, B. I. (2014) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.114.085191 · Cited by 182 · see citing works
Sleep: important considerations for the prevention of cardiovascular disease
Grandner, M. A., Alfonso-Miller, P., Fernandez-Mendoza, J., Shetty, S., Shenoy, S., & Combs, D. (2016) · Current Opinion in Cardiology · doi:10.1097/hco.0000000000000324 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Sleep deprivation and obesity in adults: A brief narrative review
Cooper, C. B., Neufeld, E. V., Dolezal, B. A., & Martin, J. L. (2018) · BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine · doi:10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000392 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Al Khatib, H. K., Hall, W. L., Creedon, A., Ooi, E., Masri, T., McGowan, L., Harding, S. V., Darzi, J., & Pot, G. K. (2018) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqx030 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
“Our study design precludes quantifying net energy balance, because our assessment of the mean 2-d energy expenditure may not reflect the mean 7-d reported dietary intake because humans are in constant energy flux (74).”
Shechter, A., Rising, R., Albu, J. B., & St-Onge, M.-P. (2013) · The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.069427 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Self-citationAn integrative review of sleep for nutrition professionals
Golem, D. L., Martin-Biggers, J. T., Koenings, M. M., Davis, K. F., & Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2014) · Advances in Nutrition · doi:10.3945/an.114.006809 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
The Role of Sleep in the Control of Food Intake
Shechter, A., Grandner, M. A., & St-Onge, M.-P. (2014) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/1559827614545315 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Self-citationChildhood Sleep Duration and Quality in Relation to Leptin Concentration in Two Cohort Studies
Boeke, C. E., Storfer-Isser, A., Redline, S., & Taveras, E. M. (2014) · Sleep · doi:10.5665/sleep.3510 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Hui, S.-K. A., & Grandner, M. A. (2015) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2015.04.002 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Ritze, Y., Kern, W., Ebner, E.-M., Jahn, S., Benedict, C., & Hallschmid, M. (2018) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2018.00663 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Association between habitual sleep duration/quality and appetite markers in individuals with obesity
Nymo, S., Kleppe, M. M., Coutinho, S. R., Rehfeld, J. F., Kulseng, B., & Martins, C. (2021) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113345 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
- Authors
- St-Onge, M.-P.
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine
- Published
- 2013-01-15
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 73-80
- ISSN
- 1550-9389 (ISSN-L)
- 1550-9397
- PMC
- PMC3525993
- OpenAlex
- W2057538452
- Cited by
- 220
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 6
- FWCI
- 2.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL091352, HL091352)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30 DK-26687, P30DK026687)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Keywords
- sleep duration, energy balance, energy intake, energy expenditure, sleep restriction, obesity, leptin, ghrelin, appetite-regulating hormones, weight gain, sex differences
- MeSH terms
- Energy Intake, Eating, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Obesity, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, Time Factors, Leptin, Ghrelin
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
