New Study Highlights Health Benefits of Sleep

Sleep is something that many people take for granted. According to the American Sleep Association (ASA), up to 70 million adults in the United States suffer from a sleep disorder. Whether it's difficulty falling asleep or full-blown insomnia, it's frustrating when you lie in bed for hours staring at the alarm clock. If this sounds like a familiar scenario, however, you should make the necessary changes to your lifestyle to improve your sleeping habits because a new study has revealed some surprising health benefits of sleep.

It's no secret that sleep -- or lack thereof -- plays a direct role in your energy levels. If you don't get enough sleep at night, you'll wake the following morning feeling tired and fatigued. This is because sleep allows your body to "reset" so to speak, both physically and mentally.

According to a new study, however, sleep may also affect your risk of developing certain chronic diseases, including obesity. For the study, researchers at the University of Leeds in England analyzed the sleeping and eating habits of more than 1,600 men and women. They discovered that participants who slept for fewer than seven hours of sleep were more likely to become obese than their counterparts who did get the recommended minimum of seven hours of sleep per night.

Additionally, researchers found that participants who slept for fewer than seven hours per night experienced larger waistlines than their counterparts. Participants who slept for six hours per night had waistlines that were an average of three centimeters larger than participants who slept for nine hours per night.

When discussing these findings, study researcher Dr. Laura Haride explained that sleep plays an important role in weight gain and weight management.

"Because we found that adults who reported sleeping less than their peers were more likely to be overweight or obese, our findings highlight the importance of getting enough sleep … current consensus is that seven to nine hours is best for most adults," explained the study's lead author and researcher.

But this wasn't the only eye-opening revelation made in this study. In addition to increased rates of obesity, researchers also discovered that participants who didn't get the recommended amount of sleep were more likely to develop cancer. This actually goes hand in hand with weight gain. According to the study's researchers, an additional 11 centimeters around the waistline increases the risk of cancer by 13%, and an additional eight centimeters around the hips increases the risk of bowel cancer by 15%.

This study was published in the British Journal of Cancer.