Does a Lack of Sleep Affect Your Body Weight?

MDLife Inc. is proud to bring you wellness information to enhance your life. Dr. Lesley Scibora, a chiropractor and scientist will be providing you with the research to help you improve your own personal wellness. The first post addresses the never-ending problem of getting enough sleep. While we might only think that a lack of sleep causes us to walk through our day like a zombie, it is much more serious. Read on...

Approximately two in three adults over the age of 20 years is either overweight or obese. Count yourself one of the millions of obese Americans if you are five-feet six-inches tall and weigh 185 pounds, or six-feet tall and weigh 220 pounds. There is no doubt that overweight and obesity are problems, but what is the solution? We are endlessly reminded to clean up our diets, step away from our screens, and move our bodies much more than we already do. While eating small, frequent balanced meals, reducing television viewing, and exercising at least 30 minutes most days of the week will do wonders to whittle your waistline and energize your life, sleep is an often neglected component to maintaining (or attaining) a healthy weight. Despite regular exercise and mindful eating, lack of quality sleep may be the factor keeping that extra 20 pounds clinging to your body.

So, how well did you sleep last night? Did you wake up feeling refreshed or tired and planning an afternoon nap? A poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 70% of obese older adults report problems with sleep, which suggests that millions of Americans likely suffer a lack of quality sleep – a necessity for maintaining good health. Sleep deprivation squashes our energy levels and motivation to be physically active. When we are sleepy we are also more likely to reach for caffeine-laden drinks and sugary snacks to boost energy. Further, trouble falling asleep, waking up frequently, or interruptions to our sleep including pain, temperature fluctuations, light or noise disrupt our bodies normal sleep-wake cycle. This circadian rhythm, primarily influenced by light from the environment, controls the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes us heavy-eyed. Importantly, our circadian rhythm influences blood pressure and body temperature, and even controls levels of metabolism-related hormones such as leptin (decreases appetite) and ghrelin (increases appetite). Among individuals with disrupted sleep-wake cycles, University of Chicago researchers found low levels of leptin and high levels of ghrelin, suggesting just one mechanism by which sleep problems lead to weight gain.

Depriving ourselves of much-needed sleep is one method of ostensibly getting more work done in a day. However, it may be one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy body and a healthy weight. Serious conditions such as sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing intermittently stops throughout the night, are often associated with obesity and require consultation with your doctor for treatment. Serious conditions not withstanding, there are behavioral and physical factors important for getting a restful night’s sleep. The following are just a few time-tested strategies for improving your sleep. First, a supportive mattress can help to eliminate pain and discomfort, and breathable, high quality bedding will help you cope with body temperature fluctuations (e.g. hot flashes). In addition, drawing the shades, turning off the television and any additional lights in or near the bedroom will assist in stimulating melatonin production and cause sleepiness. Besides your physical sleeping environment, eating a small apple and handful of almonds stabilizes blood sugar and will help prevent waking up in the middle of the night. Finally, winding down nightly chores or computer work and turning on some relaxing music or taking a warm bath will help quiet your mind and ease your body into the restorative sleep that it needs. None of these suggestions are particularly difficult, but are important small steps that we can all take to bring us just a bit closer to wellness.

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