Sleep Deprivation Linked to Obesity in Male Military Personnel: StatCan Study

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces march, in a file photo. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

A lack of sleep is correlated with obesity, particularly in the male military population, according to a new study of military personnel by Statistic Canada.

The study, called “Sleep Duration, Sleep Quality and Obesity in the Canadian Armed Forces,” reports that getting good sleep and getting enough of it is something many personnel are struggling with.

Sleep is a factor the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Physical Performance Strategy focuses on.

Researchers used data from the 2019 Canadian Armed Forces Health Survey to ascertain how sleep influences obesity in CAF members.

The target population for the survey included actively serving members from both the Regular Force and reserve forces. Canadian rangers, supplementary reservists, and cadets were excluded from the study.

Question topics regarding sleep quality covered falling asleep, staying asleep, whether respondents woke up refreshed, and whether they struggled to stay awake when they needed to.

“While sleep disturbance and sleep duration have been associated with obesity in the general population, the association warrants study in a military setting,” the report said. “The armed forces differ from the general population in occupational demands, such as deployments and frequent and regular postings, requirements for physical training, testing and maintenance of physical levels, and a unique workforce culture.”

Analysts reported that obesity was associated males who had with less than six hours of sleep or six to seven hours of sleep, but not females.

Analysts reported that difficulty staying awake did not differ significantly between males and females (6.3 percent versus 5.4 percent). Obesity, but not being overweight, was significantly more prevalent among those who had less than six hours of sleep, six to seven hours of sleep, or poor sleep quality.

A number of variables were also categorized by the researchers, including age, status at work, and the amount of physical activity and stress the respondents experienced.

Using data from the study, it was determined that females were more likely to sleep for the recommended amount of time—seven to ten hours—however, they experienced more difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, and reported poorer quality sleep.

Study findings indicate that sleep improves mood, cognitive performance, and productivity for individuals. For military personnel, sleep, or a lack of it, can affect readiness for deployment, physical training, and testing.

Biological or hormonal changes caused by fatigue and inadequate sleep are contributory determinants to obesity, according to study authors.

It is known that obesity can lead to a wide range of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, asthma, back pain, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, and osteoporosis.