Losing Weight, Especially in the Belly, Improves Sleep Quality
Weight loss, whether it's from dietary changes alone or from diet combined with exercise, can help improve the quality of sleep among people who are overweight or obese, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers. "We found that improvement in sleep quality was significantly associated with overall weight loss, especially belly fat," says Kerry Stewart, Ed.D., professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of clinical and research exercise physiology. Stewart is the senior author of the study, which will be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions on November 6, 2012 by lead author Soohyun Nam, Ph.D., who is now at the Yale University School of Nursing. Her presentation is titled Predictors of Sleep Quality Improvement Among Overweight or Obese Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial.