Kathryn Demos

There is considerable interest in the role of sleep in weight regulation, yet few studies have examined this relationship in overweight/obese (OW/OB) adults. Using a within-subject, counterbalanced design, 12 OW/OB women were studied in lab with two nights of short (5 hr time in bed [TIB]) and two nights of long (9 hr TIB) sleep. Hunger, consumption at a buffet, and fasting hormone levels were obtained. Significant polysomnographic differences occurred between conditions in total sleep time and sleep architecture (ps < .001). Percent energy from protein at the buffet increased following short sleep. No differences were observed for total energy intake or measured hormones. Further research is needed to determine how lengthening sleep impacts weight regulation in OW/OB adults.

Cortical thickness of the cognitive control network was contrasted between obese (OB), successful weight loss maintainers (SWLM), and lean individuals. OB individuals had significant thinning, most notably in the anterior cingulate and posterior parietal cortices. SWLM individuals exhibited trends towards thicker cortex than OB individuals, which may be important in future studies.