Lack of Sleep Makes You Fatter
In the Nurses’ Health Study, 70,026 women were studied to see whether not sleeping enough increased the risk of future weight gain and even obesity. Researchers concluded that self-reported sleep restriction impacts your ability to burn calories and increases the risk of weight gain. In fact, they reported that women in the study who slept 7 to 8 hours per night had the lowest risk for major weight gain. Similar studies suggest that those who sleep less than 7 hours per night are more likely to be obese.
In a study of middle-aged women, researchers concluded that weight gain was directly correlated with the amount of sleep the subjects received each night. This study started about 20 years ago and included more than 68,000 women who were asked every 2 years about their sleep patterns as well as their weight. After 16 years, the findings revealed that those women who slept 5 hours or less each night weighed 5.4 pounds more than the women who slept 7 hours. In addition, women who slept 5 or fewer hours per night were 15 percent more likely to become obese than women who slept 7 hours each night. Another sleep study reported that losing just 16 minutes of sleep per night increased the risk of obesity.
Lack of Sleep Makes You Eat More Carbs and Snacks
In a revealing study, scientists at the University of Chicago allowed people to sleep 5.5 hours on 1 night and 8.5 on another and then measured how many free snacks they downed the next day. The participants ate an average of 221 calories more when sleepy—an amount that could translate into almost a pound gained in 2 weeks! (More: A snack to satisfy every craving)
In another study that reviewed short sleep (less than 6 hours) in young adults, researchers concluded that after poor sleep, the increase in appetite for foods with high carbohydrate content was particularly strong. It was as if the sleep-deprived brain craved its primary fuel, glucose, which your body produces from carbs.
In addition, not getting enough sleep affects the amounts and types of food you eat. Some studies show that sleeping for a shorter time and spending waking hours in an environment where people tend to overeat can cause you to engage in excessive snacking—and I don’t mean on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Lack of Sleep Increases Inflammation and the Risk of Diabetes
Sleeping too little for just one night can increase proinflammatory markers in the blood and boost hunger-promoting chemicals. Studies show that inflammation provoked by certain immune cells leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is directly correlated to obesity and is epidemic worldwide. There is increasing evidence that people who sleep fewer than 7 hours a night have a higher risk of diabetes.
Researchers at the University of Chicago found that losing just 3 to 4 hours of sleep over a period of several days is enough to trigger metabolic changes that are consistent with a prediabetic state. They determined that when sleep was restricted to 4 hours for 6 consecutive nights, the body’s ability to keep blood glucose at a consistent level declined significantly, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. This may be because sleep deprivation stresses the body. Getting good-quality sleep is now considered a basic defense mechanism for staying healthy and preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Lack of Sleep Leads to High Blood Pressure
Studies report a link between high blood pressure and sleep deprivation. When people are sleep deprived, whether it is from insufficient sleep quantity or poor sleep quality, they place an increased load on their hearts. Here’s why: When you are awake, your heart pumps faster to move the blood around. During sleep, your body does not require that much bloodflow, so your heart rate slows and the heart gets a much-needed rest. Without ample resting time, the heart muscle gets fatigued. Because your heart has to work harder, you can have an increase in blood pressure or possibly thickening of the heart muscle, which can lead to more serious heart problems.
Lack of Sleep Leads to Metabolic Disturbances
In a study of shift workers with irregular sleep, researchers found that the volunteers had definite metabolic disturbances that are clearly linked to insulin resistance. Insulin, a hormone released by the pancreas, promotes the storage of calories as fat and regulates the glucose level in the blood. Metabolic syndrome—also called insulin resistance syndrome—happens when your body steadily becomes less responsive to the actions of insulin. With metabolic syndrome, your blood sugar level rises despite the blood’s high level of insulin, and type 2 diabetes can result.
Source: Facmedicine
In the Nurses’ Health Study, 70,026 women were studied to see whether not sleeping enough increased the risk of future weight gain and even obesity. Researchers concluded that self-reported sleep restriction impacts your ability to burn calories and increases the risk of weight gain. In fact, they reported that women in the study who slept 7 to 8 hours per night had the lowest risk for major weight gain. Similar studies suggest that those who sleep less than 7 hours per night are more likely to be obese.
In a study of middle-aged women, researchers concluded that weight gain was directly correlated with the amount of sleep the subjects received each night. This study started about 20 years ago and included more than 68,000 women who were asked every 2 years about their sleep patterns as well as their weight. After 16 years, the findings revealed that those women who slept 5 hours or less each night weighed 5.4 pounds more than the women who slept 7 hours. In addition, women who slept 5 or fewer hours per night were 15 percent more likely to become obese than women who slept 7 hours each night. Another sleep study reported that losing just 16 minutes of sleep per night increased the risk of obesity.
Lack of Sleep Makes You Eat More Carbs and Snacks
In a revealing study, scientists at the University of Chicago allowed people to sleep 5.5 hours on 1 night and 8.5 on another and then measured how many free snacks they downed the next day. The participants ate an average of 221 calories more when sleepy—an amount that could translate into almost a pound gained in 2 weeks! (More: A snack to satisfy every craving)
In another study that reviewed short sleep (less than 6 hours) in young adults, researchers concluded that after poor sleep, the increase in appetite for foods with high carbohydrate content was particularly strong. It was as if the sleep-deprived brain craved its primary fuel, glucose, which your body produces from carbs.
In addition, not getting enough sleep affects the amounts and types of food you eat. Some studies show that sleeping for a shorter time and spending waking hours in an environment where people tend to overeat can cause you to engage in excessive snacking—and I don’t mean on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Lack of Sleep Increases Inflammation and the Risk of Diabetes
Sleeping too little for just one night can increase proinflammatory markers in the blood and boost hunger-promoting chemicals. Studies show that inflammation provoked by certain immune cells leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is directly correlated to obesity and is epidemic worldwide. There is increasing evidence that people who sleep fewer than 7 hours a night have a higher risk of diabetes.
Researchers at the University of Chicago found that losing just 3 to 4 hours of sleep over a period of several days is enough to trigger metabolic changes that are consistent with a prediabetic state. They determined that when sleep was restricted to 4 hours for 6 consecutive nights, the body’s ability to keep blood glucose at a consistent level declined significantly, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. This may be because sleep deprivation stresses the body. Getting good-quality sleep is now considered a basic defense mechanism for staying healthy and preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Lack of Sleep Leads to High Blood Pressure
Studies report a link between high blood pressure and sleep deprivation. When people are sleep deprived, whether it is from insufficient sleep quantity or poor sleep quality, they place an increased load on their hearts. Here’s why: When you are awake, your heart pumps faster to move the blood around. During sleep, your body does not require that much bloodflow, so your heart rate slows and the heart gets a much-needed rest. Without ample resting time, the heart muscle gets fatigued. Because your heart has to work harder, you can have an increase in blood pressure or possibly thickening of the heart muscle, which can lead to more serious heart problems.
Lack of Sleep Leads to Metabolic Disturbances
In a study of shift workers with irregular sleep, researchers found that the volunteers had definite metabolic disturbances that are clearly linked to insulin resistance. Insulin, a hormone released by the pancreas, promotes the storage of calories as fat and regulates the glucose level in the blood. Metabolic syndrome—also called insulin resistance syndrome—happens when your body steadily becomes less responsive to the actions of insulin. With metabolic syndrome, your blood sugar level rises despite the blood’s high level of insulin, and type 2 diabetes can result.
Source: Facmedicine
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