My typical reader could probably take off some extra pounds.
But what you might not know is that a little extra sleep
could be the answer.
Is there a relationship between how much you weigh and how
much you sleep?
Studies show that people who sleep too little are actually
more likely to raid the refrigerator.
It seems as if the body responds to sleep restriction by
craving more fuel, a reduced energy balance, and this is
communicated by the fat cells, actually. Leptin is a molecule
secreted by fat cells and conveys a satiety signal. "There's
enough fuel on board."
With sleep restriction, keeping the level of activity and the
amount of calories constant, the body says, "I need more
food." And this is inappropriate and may lead to overeating
and potentially obesity in the long term.
Not only might you be eating more, you're probably going to
crave just the wrong foods. When you're sleep-deprived, you
want to go for an empty calorie energy boost and usually
those are carbohydrates that are very low in nutrients and
very high in calories.
But even making wise food choices might not work if you
suffer from restricted sleep. This kind of poor sleep can
actually change your metabolism.
Not sleeping enough seems to be associated with metabolic
changes that can lead to overeating and obesity. So in
studies where sleep restriction in the laboratory was done,
subjects tended to have metabolic changes and alterations of
glucose metabolism that might lead to their becoming obese in
the future.
Sleeping too little can also contribute to weight gain by
putting undue stress on the body. The body sees sleep
deprivation as a state of stress; cortisol is the stress
hormone. Cortisol causes, in turn, the release of insulin and
insulin is a storage hormone that promotes fat storage.
Sleeping too little seems to adversely affect glucose levels
in the body, so that glucose levels are higher and people are
more glucose resistant, more prone to diabetes if they sleep
less.
Habitual sleep restriction could play a very important role
in increasing risk for diabetes later in life, especially if
maintained over many years and decades, much like a sedentary
lifestyle or poor eating habits. It's not something that
catches up with you in a week or in two weeks, but it's
something that over decades can shorten your life.
While poor sleep can contribute to weight gain and other
health problems, getting quality sleep could make it easier
to stay trim.
When someone switches their sleep pattern to one of increased
deep sleep, they wake up renewed.
People who exercise do spend more time in deep sleep rather
than in light sleep; this has been measured. It is a cycle,
and that exercise will help them to sleep better that night
and so we think each kind of helps the other.
While we all know quality sleep keeps us rested and alert for
the day ahead, it now seems that it might even lead to a
healthier metabolism and a healthier life.
Given the wealth of data that exists, it makes a lot of sense
that sleeping at least seven hours a night and getting good
quality sleep will improve our metabolic function in terms of
glucose levels, in terms of body weight, and getting a good
night's sleep also makes people feel better.
Sleep is a sign of a balanced lifestyle, including exercise
and diet. And it's important to sleep a sufficient amount as
a part of a balanced lifestyle that would promote good
health.
2004 Dr. Reuven Bruner. All Rights Reserved.
Contact him at: POB 1903, Jerusalem, 91314, Israel; Tel:
(02)652-7684; Mobile: 052-2865-821; Fax: (02)652-7227; Email:
dr_bruner@hotmail.com
