Getting More Sleep at Night May Help You Keep Slim Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/01/getting-more-sleep-at-night-may-help-you-keep-slim/#ixzz1togdcNIg

Getting some extra z’s each night could dampen the effect of genes that predispose you to weight gain, a recent study from University of Washington in Seattle finds.

The research team, led by neurologist Nathaniel Watson, looked at the weight and sleeping habits of 1,088 pairs of twins in the University of Washington Twin Registry and found that those who got less sleep — less than 7 hours a night — were not only heavier, but also had less control over their weight than those who got more than 9 hours of shuteye.

Watson’s team found that among twins sleeping less than 7 hours, genes accounted for 70% of the difference in body mass index (BMI), while environment accounted for only 4% of the difference. Conversely, among twins getting more than 9 hours of sleep, genetic influences accounted for 32% of the BMI difference — or less than half the effect found in the short-sleeping twins — while environmental factors like diet and exercise accounted for 51% of the differences in weight.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/01/getting-more-sleep-at-night-may-help-you-keep-slim/#ixzz1togg5kRi