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Falling asleep earlier was linked to greater weight loss in adults with prediabetes, according to new research.

An analysis of data from a randomized trial led by the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing found that each hour earlier participants fell asleep was associated with roughly 1. 3 pounds of weight loss over eight weeks, although the finding does not prove that moving bedtime earlier causes weight loss.

"When we fall asleep — not just how much we sleep — seems to be an important and overlooked factor for weight loss and metabolic health ," Susan Kohl Malone, an assistant professor at the nursing college and the study's lead author, said in a press release.

POPULAR WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS MAY PREVENT PREDIABETES FROM TURNING INTO DIABETES

The investigation, published in the journal Nursing Research, evaluated 196 adults diagnosed with prediabetes who routinely logged fewer than 6.5 hours of sleep nightly.…