New research suggests sleeping more could help to cut weight.
Previous studies show a link between an obesity epidemic and a pattern of people sleeping less, which also causes other health problems.
A study of 80 overweight men and women, conducted from November 1, 2014 to October 30, 2020, found that participants cut 270 calories from their daily intake just by sleeping more.
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This lazy method of weight loss could be a life saver for people with enough time to spare for an extra two hours of sleep each night.
Participants in the University of Chicago study were aged 21 to 40 years, with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 and a mean habitual sleep duration of less than 6.5 hours per night.
One half of the group was randomly selected to increase their sleep to eight and a half hours per night, according to the study published in medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine on February 7, 2022.
This group managed to increase their sleep duration by roughly 1.2 hours per night in a two-week period, reducing their calorie intake by 270 calories a day
In the study, researchers wrote: "We found a modest reduction in weight after sleep extension, and the composition of weight change was primarily in fat-free mass, which is consistent with the short-term changes in body composition.
"If sleep is extended over longer periods, weight loss in the form of fat mass would likely increase over time."
Researchers predict that people could lose 26lb (12kg) in three years if they kept up that sleep habit.
However, they warned the study "cannot infer how long healthy sleep habits may be sustained".
Less sleep can lead to an increase in people's energy intake because it causes changes in the body that lead to overeating.
The researchers said: "Evidence from laboratory sleep restriction studies suggests that increased hunger, alterations in appetite-regulating hormones, and changes in brain regions related to reward-seeking behavior are potential mechanisms that promote overeating after sleep restriction."
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