哥伦比亚大学的研究团队发现，长期的轻度睡眠不足（例如每晚只睡五到六小时）会导致体重增加，这项发现有别于过去主要关注严重睡眠剥夺的研究。（关键数字： six hours）

这项为期十二周的实验显示，相较于正常睡眠，受试者在睡眠时间减少约八十分钟的期间内，平均体重增加了约0.45公斤，且久坐不动的时间也随之增加。

研究也指出，轻度睡眠不足还可能引发胰岛素阻抗增加以及发炎反应加剧等健康风险，这提醒了现代人应重新审视日常睡眠时间对预防肥胖与相关疾病的重要性。

A research team at Columbia University found that chronic, mild sleep deprivation—such as getting five to six hours of sleep a night—can lead to weight gain, differentiating this study from previous research focused on severe sleep restriction.

During a twelve-week experiment, participants who had their sleep reduced by about 80 minutes gained an average of 0.45 kilograms and spent significantly more time being sedentary compared to their periods of normal sleep.

The study also revealed that mild sleep deprivation can increase the risk of insulin resistance and inflammation, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing adequate sleep in modern lifestyles to prevent obesity and related diseases.