Sleep and Obesity
Sleep may be an important regulator of body weight and metabolism. Two studies report that sleep loss can contribute to obesity. Researchers found that when men slept 10 hours, they awoke with normal appetites. But when they slept only four hours they were hungry. And what they wanted to eat wasn’t lean meats, fruits or vegetables.
Those who got less sleep than they needed had reduced leptin and elevated ghrelin, metabolic hormones that regulate appetite. Leptin is a blood protein that suppresses appetite and seems to affect how the brain senses when the body has had enough food. Ghrelin is a substance that makes people want to eat. “In Western societies, where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones with sleep curtailment may contribute to obesity,” says the study’s author.
In another study conducted at Columbia University and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York, the results also indicate a link between sleep and the various neural pathways that regulate food intake. The effect of chronic sleep deprivation on the body’s food-seeking circuitry is what specialists think may be making the difference in obesity risks.
Dr. Philip Eichling, a sleep and weight-loss specialist at the U. of Arizona and the medical director of Canyon Ranch, a spa in Tuscon that offers health and weight management programs, notes that sleep deprivation also hurts ‘executive function’ – the ability to make clear decisions. “One of my treatments is to tell them they should move from six hours to seven hours of sleep. When they’re less sleepy, they’re less hungry,” he says. Americans average only a little more than six hours sleep a night, suggesting that the growing prevalence of sleep deprivation might be contributing to the growing obesity epidemic.
Tips for Better Sleep
- Exercise regularly but not close to bedtime
- Avoid alcohol and foods high in sugar, caffeine or salt before bedtime
- Don’t discuss highly emotional issues with your partner right before bed
- Stick to a standard bedtime routine and regular sleep time
- Practice deep breathing if you wake in the middle of the night
- Turn off the TV or computer an hour before bedtime
Filed under: A Good Night's Sleep | 1 Comment
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