Trying to sleep on weekends, it's getting fatter

The Americans' habit of trying to catch up over the weekend after long weeks of work instead of being closed enough is wreaking havoc on the waist.

A study published Thursday in the journal Current Biology indicates that this trend of excessive and continuous consumption does not prevent overeating.

"This process of not getting enough sleep, trying to recover and not getting enough sleep does not seem like an effective strategy," said Kenneth Wright, co-author of the University of Western Ontario's study. Colorado to Boulder. "That means we will probably not be able to use the weekend to recover after four or five days of insufficient sleep."

To find out, Wright and his colleagues studied 36 participants who spent 10 nights in a laboratory. Participants who slept five hours during the week and as long as they wanted on weekends could not regulate their metabolism.

"As soon as they resumed the short sleep schedules on Monday, their body's ability to regulate blood sugar was impaired," Wright said.

So be sure to receive the recommended seven hours every night.