People who lack sleep are also more likely to eat while doing activities like watching TV. The association between short sleep and obesity is already known, but the present study focuses on a new aspect of the association between sleep and obesity: whether short sleep is linked to more time spent in secondary eating or drinking. "Secondary eating and drinking" refers to eating or drinking beverages other than water, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, while primarily engaged in another activity, such as watching television.

Dr. Gabriel S. Tajeu, of the University of Alabama, Birmingham's (UAB) Department of Epidemiology, and colleagues studied data from 28,150 American adults, of whom 55.8% were female, aged from 21-65 years, who participated in the American Time Use Survey between 2006-08.

Those who reported short sleep also engaged in secondary eating for an additional 8.7 minutes a day, as well as an additional 28.6 minutes daily of secondary drinking on weekdays and 31.28 minutes on weekends.

Studies restricting healthy young adults' sleep for a few nights have shown that the body's ability to process glucose in the blood declines, in some cases to the level of diabetes. The study authors conclude that: Short sleep is associated with more time spent in secondary eating and, in particular, secondary drinking. This potentially suggests a pathway from short sleep to increased caloric intake in the form of beverages and distracted eating and thus potential increased obesity risk, although more research is needed."

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