Sleeping for seven or eight hours per night leads to optimal health. Not only does getting a good night's sleep ensure you wake up refreshed and ready to face the day, but it also helps you to maintain a healthy weight and avoid the development of obesity, say researchers who have found a link between lack of sleep time and obesity. Discover the effects of sleep deprivation on your internal clock and body mass index.
What the Study Involved
The US study, published in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found a strong link between weight gain and sleep deprivation as a result of decreased metabolic rates. The research looked at studies published over a 15-year period.
The articles, published between 1996 and 2011, found that sleep deprivation can affect a person's energy and hormone levels. When these levels are disrupted – through poor or insufficient sleep – weight gain can result.
The researchers found that in many studies, people who were sleep deprived experienced insulin resistance and fluctuations in energy. They also had dysfunctional metabolic hormones – specifically leptin and ghrelin levels, which manage hunger and tell the body when it's full. Insufficient hours of sleep cause the levels of leptin and ghrelin to increase, which increases the risk of obesity as it often leads to overeating.
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So, when a person is sleep-deprived, their hunger hormones are disrupted, leading to an increased appetite and sluggish metabolism. Getting less than eight hours of sleep increases caloric intake too, which leads to excess body weight. Moreover, people who experience poor sleep quality are less likely to engage in physical activity than those who get adequate sleep per night, leading to an increased body fat storage.
What the Results Mean
Dr Sharon M. Nickols-Richardson, who led the research team, said the results showed that monitoring a person's sleep patterns could hold the key to reducing rates of obesity.
"Changes in these hormones coinciding with an energy-reduced diet paired with changes in response to partial sleep deprivation may be expected to increase ghrelin and decrease leptin concentrations even further to promote hunger," she said.
Dr Nickols-Richardson said the relationship between sleep deprivation and obesity was an intriguing one, and that it opens the door for more research on the subject.
It could be that adequate sleep, combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, could help slow the world's 'obesity epidemic' and help people manage their weight more effectively.
Medical Conditions that Cause Inadequate Sleep in Overweight Adults
Some people stay up late to keep up with their social media accounts, watch a movie or play video games, but others suffer from insomnia or short sleep durations due to health conditions that arise from being overweight. Some health issues that affect the circadian rhythm of overweight people are as follows:
Obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea causes sleep curtailment by restricting the airways, which temporarily interrupts the flow of air and obstructs breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders among obese people.
Asthma
Asthma is a lung disease caused by inflammation of the airways. Symptoms include wheezing, chest pain, and severe coughing at night or in the wee hours. Obese persons with this condition experience long-term sleep deprivation.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Also known as chronic acid reflux, GERD is a chronic condition in which stomach acid backs up into the oesophagus, causing symptoms such as chest pain and heartburn. It is very common in people with obesity.
Depression
It is commonly known that obesity and depression go hand in hand. Essentially, both conditions can worsen each other's symptoms. Depression robs sufferers of quality sleep, and lack of sleep can increase their risk of obesity.
Restless legs syndrome
Restless legs syndrome is one of the common conditions that keep overweight people up at night due to the discomfort in their legs, according to observational studies of sleep patterns in overweight people. Most people with this condition can't resist the urge to get up and grab something to eat, which basically increases their caloric intake.
Improving Sleep Hygiene in Overweight People
A healthy sleep duration can be achieved by addressing the underlying causes of your poor sleep cycles. Overweight and normal weight individuals who have trouble sleeping for adequate hours per night, should create a bedtime routine as well as increase their physical activity level during the day to ensure they get the rest they need. Here are some useful tips from a sleep specialist:
Engage in physical activities
Regular exercise, sports activities, and even daily tasks that require you to stay on your feet, helps in weight loss. Furthermore, exposure to natural light while participating in physical activities outdoors will improve your circadian rhythm. When it's time for bed, you'll be more than ready to get some much-needed shut-eye.
Eat healthy foods
Reduced sleep time increases caloric intake as you crave sugar and fattening foods. The consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish like salmon and sardines, along with vitamin-E-rich vegetables and nuts, will provide you with sufficient sleep every night.
Create a comfortable sleeping environment
Ensure that your bedroom has all of the necessary sleeping essentials, from the mattress and pillows to the lighting and cooling system. To prevent morning backaches, make sure your bed is neither too soft nor too hard. Additionally, keep the lights dim, if not off, so your body clock knows it's time to sleep.
A deep sleep may sound very simple, but it's the key to curbing the prevalence of obesity. Insufficient sleep due to weight problems exacerbated by other medical conditions can benefit from consulting a natural health professional, such as a nutritionist, hypnotherapist, personal trainer, or others who specialise in weight management.
Originally published on Mar 21, 2014
