A new study assessed the feasibility of increasing sleep hours in adults with a lack of sleep and analyzed the results on nutrient and sugar intake, reports Medical News Bulletin.

The sleep cycle is our most important biorhythm that influences the whole body-mind system. Lack of sleep bothers many people, and the physiology of sleep is still not well understood. The recommended sleep duration is six to nine hours for optimal physical and mental health. However, behavioral sleep curtailment is becoming more common and reports indicate that about 37% of American adults sleep for less than six hours per night. A lack of sleep is a risk factor for many conditions such as obesity and cardio-metabolic diseases.

Sleep is now recognized as a modifiable risk factor and interventions to increase sleep duration and quality are being studied to assess the effects of sleep extension on the overall health of sleep-deprived individuals. Growing evidence points to an association between a lack of sleep and obesity and its related complications. Sleep has been shown to be an important modulator of neuroendocrine function and glucose metabolism.