Sleep duration and obesity in a population-based study

Abstract Background Previous studies have demonstrated an association between sleep duration and obesity, but few population-based studies have examined the association. We examined the relationship between recent and usual lifetime sleep duration with the odds of obesity in 5549 women that participated in a population-based telephone survey. Methods The structured telephone interview included questions on usual sleep duration in adult life and the recent past, as well as height and weight and other demographic and lifestyle characteristics. We examined odds of overweight (BMI: 25–29.9 kg/m2 ), obesity (BMI: 30–39.9 kg/m2 ) and extreme obesity (BMI: ⩾40 kg/m2 ) according to reported sleep duration. Results Compared to women who slept 7–7.9 h per night, women who slept an average of