But leaving it until the last minute would be analogous to building up an enormous inventory and then attempting to burn the midnight oil to get it through the final stage.

Elsewhere, engineers burn the midnight oil making sure that a shoe AD follows a consumer from Web site to Web site until the person finally cracks and buys some new kicks.

So despite any extra calories a person might burn while burning the midnight oil, losing sleep is hardly the best way to lose fat, this study suggests.