Sleep and weight go hand-in-hand, which may be surprising to most. Less sleep equals more weight! An extensive study showed that people who sleep less than 7 hours are significantly more obese. Those of us who sleep less than 6 hours per day have a 27% increased rate of obesity and those who sleep only 5 hours have a 73% increased rate.
Children who sleep less than 10 hours per day have a 3.5 times greater incidence of obesity compared to children who sleep 12 hours per day. Sleep deprivation at 30 months can predict obesity at the age of 6.
Night shifts average 42 minutes less sleep per 24-hour period.
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How does that work then?
Well, less sleep results in less growth hormone. Growth hormone is responsible for recuperation, regeneration, renewing and rebuilding processes within our body during sleep.
Less sleep also increases cortisol, insulin and ghrelin levels, while decreasing leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone, produced by the stomach and pancreas, which stimulates hunger. Leptin is a protein hormone, mainly produced by white adipose tissue, which controls appetite and satiety (feeling of being full).
Less sleep also causes increased daytime fatigue, resulting in less physical activity or exercise.
It’s generally recommended for adults to sleep 8 hours per day, with a minimum of 7 hours. An extra 30 minutes per day can reduce body weight.
Yours in Optimal Health,
Dr. Mike
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Tags: causes of childhood obesity, children's obesity, metabolic health, obesity, Sensible Weight Loss, sleep and weight, sleep loss
My weight has definetly been affected by my sleeping patterns, any solutions for this?
Comment by Tyrone — January 4, 2010 @ 11:31 pm
As a young professional, sleep is limited and free time to exercise is almost non-existent. I’ve got to learn to balance both, thanks for the read Dr. Mike
Comment by Trevor — January 5, 2010 @ 10:37 am