Core Behavior – Get enough sleep

Insufficient sleep is a widespread problem in the US with as many as one in three adults not getting at least seven hours. Sleep is a restorative process and plays an important role in overall health of the entire body and mind. There is a growing body of evidence on the importance of sleep as it relates to increased risk of obesity. There is a link between low sleep quality and short sleep duration (less than 7 hours) to increased risk of obesity and poor obesity treatment outcomes. Poor sleep (either duration or quality) results in many metabolic and endocrine alterations that can impact risk of obesity. Improving sleep quality and quantity is important in addressing overweight and obesity.