Your sleeping pattern could be making you fatter

You might want to start swapping the all-nighters for Ovaltine - a study has found adults who have poor sleep patterns are more likely to be overweight and obese.

Those who sleep six hours a night on average were found to have a waist measurement three centimetres bigger than those who get nine hours per night.

They also weighed more on average, according to researchers from the University of Leeds.

But despite the fact shorter sleepers were heavier, their diet wasn't found to be any less healthy than those who got a good amount of shut-eye.

The study involved more than 1,600 adults, who were asked to report how long they slept for and everything they ate.

Those who slept less also have lower levels of HDL cholesterol in their blood.

This is the “good” cholesterol that helps remove “bad” fat from the circulation, and protect against heart disease.

Dr Laura Hardie, the study's senior investigator, said:

Because we found that adults who reported sleeping less than their peers were more likely to be overweight or obese, our findings highlight the importance of getting enough sleep.

How much sleep we need differs between people, but the current consensus is that seven to nine hours is best for most adults.

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