A new study published in peer-reviewed JAMA Internal Medicine found that sleeping longer helps reduce your caloric intake. The 80 participants in the research project were divided into two groups and assigned different sleep patterns. The group who slept for a longer number of hours consumed an average of 270 fewer calories than the control group.

According to USA Today, researchers selected participants between 21 and 40 years of age who slept less than 6 ½ hours nightly and were overweight. They were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was asked to maintain their normal sleep habits, while the second group was asked to increase their sleep to 8 ½ hours.

After two weeks, the researchers measured the number of calories consumed by each group and found that the people who slept longer consumed fewer calories. They measured the caloric intake by using a technique called the doubly-labelled water method that measures energy expenditure through urine samples collected before and after the experiment. The urine test is more objective than individual reports, said the researchers.

Dr. Esra Tasali, an associate professor of medicine who directs the Sleep Research Center at the University of Chicago, along with two other authors, found that those who added more hours of sleep decreased their calorie intake by an average of 270 calories a day.

Some individuals decreased their intake by as much as 500 calories and one participant saw a decrease of more than 750 calories. Tasali and her team said their study is significant because it took place in a real world setting and not in a laboratory.

They also said they hoped that their findings will have an impact on how to help treat the obesity epidemic. Sleep deprivation triggers the hunger hormone ghrelin, while getting adequate sleep activates the hormone leptin, which signals the body when it is full.

“Getting sufficient sleep could be a game-changer in our battle with the obesity epidemic as a society,” Tasali told USA Today. “Another important message is that something as simple as limiting electronics close to bedtime can help you get more sleep. Getting sufficient sleep is not important just for your brain functions but also for your body, for your metabolism and your weight.”