Blackout shades may help with weight loss

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Chicago found that a lack of sleep may actually be harmful to people's attempts to lose weight, according to ABC News. 

To obtain this data, researchers split 10 obese participants into two groups. One received 5.5 hours of sleep a night and the other, 8.5 hours a night. They also made sure that the caloric intake and exercise regimen for both groups was identical. 

While both groups were found to have lost the same amount of weight, those who hadn't gotten as much sleep were found to have lost more muscle than actual fat. 

"The loss of lean body mass is an unwanted side-effect of all weight loss diets. This side effect was increased by sleep reduction in our study," Dr Plamen Penev, one of the study's authors, told the news source. 

These findings may be significant, as very few studies have been performed on the relationship of the metabolism and sleep. 

One way to improve sleep quality and ensure that a workout is maximally beneficial may be to hang blackout shades in a room. These window treatments completely block lights from entering the room and can promote a healthy, sleeping environment.