Ellen Michaud

How many calories does an extra two hours of sleep burn? Almost 300, reveals a study at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. Researchers at the college asked 32 summer students to keep diaries noting how much sleep they got and what foods they ate over a three-week period. The first week, students stuck to their normal eating and sleeping schedules so researchers could see their normal routine. The second week, students were asked to sleep an extra two hours a day. The third week, students returned to their normal routine. When researchers compared the students' diaries after the third week, they found that the students who got an extra two hours of sleep in week 2 ate nearly 300 calories a day less than in week 1. When they returned to their normal sleep-deprived routines in week 3, they ate more food. In Photos: 7 Sleep Disorders Keeping You Awake