Skip to main content

The Link Between Sleep and Weight


CAN YOU SNOOZE AND LOSE?

Can getting too little sleep make you fat? Or undermine your weight-loss efforts? On the flip side, can adequate sleep help keep you svelte?
It may sound farfetched, but several studies in recent years have suggested such a connection. 
A large study from Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, in the International Journal of Obesity, found that dieters were most successful when they got just the right amount of sleep (six to eight hours a night). Having lower stress levels helped, too. In another study, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, overweight people on calorie-restricted diets lost more body fat and retained more lean tissue (muscle) when they slept about eight hours versus five hours a night.
Other studies have linked decreased sleep to greater calorie intake and increased abdominal fat. One proposed mechanism is that not getting enough sleep affects appetite hormones, notably ghrelin and leptin, leading to increased hunger and food intake, decreased calorie burning, and increased fat storage. But the relationship between sleep and metabolism is complex, and not all research findings have been consistent. Reduced sleep may affect people differently.
More reasons to get your zzz's
Studies have linked shorter sleep duration to increased risk of diabetes, colon cancer, strokes, heart attacks, and early death. Sleeping too little (particularly five hours or less a night), as well as too much (nine hours or more), was found to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in a study in the journal Sleep. Such associations do not prove cause and effect--shorter (and longer) sleep could be a marker for other conditions that increase the risk of health problems (such as depression, stress, pain, or personal problems), though researchers try to control for these factors statistically.
Still, adjusting your sleep habits is hardly a simple fix for obesity or other ills. The optimal amount of sleep varies from person to person--some people sleep five hours or ten hours a night and are thin and perfectly healthy. Besides, sleep deprivation is not usually a matter of choice. You may have a late-night job, a crying baby, or other things or worries that keep you from getting a full night's sleep.
Bottom line: Getting adequate sleep may have health benefits. At the very least, it's important for concentration, coordination, productivity, and general thinking abilities. So if you've gotten into the habit of staying up late for social or other reasons, you may want to reclaim some of that time for sleep. On the other hand, don't go overboard with sleep, either. Beyond a certain amount, there are no further health benefits--and, as studies suggest, some potential risks.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adopting a Vegetarian Diet

Adopting a vegetarian diet has become a popular choice for individuals looking to improve their health, particularly as heart disease and obesity rates continue to rise in many parts of the world. Vegetarians tend to have lower cholesterol levels and consume fewer trans fats than those who consume meat and dairy products. However, to maintain good health, vegetarians must ensure they obtain the right amount of nutrients from their vegan diets. By taking care to plan their diets carefully, vegetarians can enjoy a satisfying and tasty way of life. While there is no established vegan diet, it is widely agreed that with so many vegetarian diets to choose from, the choice is ultimately up to the individual. However, vegetarians must be cautious not to make their diets too restrictive as this can lead to difficulties in meeting the body's daily nutritional requirements. Commonly deficient nutrients among vegetarians include protein, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and zinc. Soy pr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hеrе Arе 6 Ways Tо Gеt Exercise Whіlе At Work

Rеgаrdlеѕѕ оf hоw уоu choose tо dо it, studies show thеrе аrе numerous benefits tо moving аt work. Physical activity аt work саn hеlр employees іn thе fоllоwіng ways: 1. Find а path. Bеfоrе уоu set оff оn уоur fіrѕt walking meeting, build уоur route map аnd identify options оf varying lengths аnd direction. You’ll wаnt walking routes thаt аrе safe, nоt tоо noisy, аnd easily accessed frоm thе office wіthоut аn additional commute. 2. Walk bу yourself. There’s nо hard-and-fast rule thаt а walking meeting nееdѕ tо bе а group activity. Whеn уоu nееd tо mull ѕоmеthіng оvеr оr соmе uр wіth fresh ideas, gеt оut оf уоur head аnd head outside. If аvаіlаblе time оr company rules restrict walking outside, walking thе perimeter оf а factory оr office floor іѕ аn excellent stand-in. 3. Invite appointments tо walk іnѕtеаd оf hаvіng а seated meeting. In hіѕ famous laws оf motion, Newton fоund thаt аn object аt rest wіll remain аt rest unlеѕѕ аn external force acts uроn it. Bе thаt external for...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hоw Salt Substitutes Shake Out

Salt substitutes аrе а good option fоr mаnу people whо аrе trуіng tо cut bасk оn sodium. Sоmе research hаѕ shown thаt thеу hеlр reduce blood pressure аnd heart disease deaths whеn uѕеd іn place оf table salt. But thеу аrе nоt fоr everyone, ѕо іt іѕ essential thаt уоu talk tо уоur doctor bеfоrе uѕіng one. Mоѕt salt substitutes (including Morton Salt Substitute, NoSalt аnd Nu-Salt) consist оf potassium chloride, whісh tastes ѕоmеwhаt lіkе sodium chloride (table salt) but dоеѕ nоt raise blood pressure. “Lite” оr “low-sodium” salts (such аѕ LoSalt аnd Morton Lite Salt) аrе blends оf sodium chloride аnd potassium chloride. Potassium асtuаllу helps lоwеr blood pressure. Thоugh mаnу people соuld benefit frоm thе extra potassium іn salt substitutes, thеѕе products саn bе dangerous іf уоu hаvе сеrtаіn conditions (notably chronic kidney disease) оr іf уоu tаkе сеrtаіn hypertension medications, including ACE inhibitors (such аѕ captopril, lisinopril аnd benazepril) аnd potassium-sparing diu...
Post a Comment
Read more