Sleep and Obesity: Understanding the Connection
Sleep plays an essential role in everyone’s overall health. It’s a necessity to ensure proper growth and development as well as overall wellness. But did you know there is a strong connection between sleep and obesity? Studies have proven that inadequate sleep or an irregular sleep cycle can contribute to hunger, poor food choice, and increased portions. In short, sleep and obesityare intrinsically linked.
Inadequate sleep or sleep deprivation makes us hungrier, despite not actually having an increased need for calories. This is because the hormones that regulate how hungry or full we feel are affected by how much sleep we get. If we don’t get enough sleep, our hunger hormones can become out of balance, spiking our appetite.
To make matters more complicated, lack of sleep can also cause our bodies to crave unhealthy and sugary foods, as well as increase our urges to indulge in large portions of food. As a result, sleep can become a double-edged sword, impacting both hunger levels and the actual types of food we eat.
How Lack of Sleep Leads to Unhealthy Eating
When we’re deprived of sleep, our bodies produce more ghrelin, a hormone associated with feelings of hunger. It triggers our appetite, making us proactively seek out food. Simultaneously, inadequate sleep decreases the production of leptin, a hormone responsible for the feeling of being full. As a result of this hormone imbalance, we tend to eat more food overall.
When examining our food choices, it also appears that a lack of sleep also pushes us towards unhealthy snacks and treats. This is because certain regions of the brain associated with reward are impacted by sleep deprivation. When we become sleep deprived, dopamine-related impulse control plummets, meaning we’re more likely to indulge in sugary and calorie-filled treats.
What Increases Our Risk of Developing Obesity
Various studies have linked a lack of sleep and obesity, as well as too much sleep. Generally, health authorities recommend adults get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
If we go:
- Below 7 hours, the risk of obesity increases
- Over 9 hours, obesity risk also increases
- Between 7- to 9-hour range, risk is minimal
This is why it’s important for adults to dedicate the necessary time for optimal sleep, to stay in this healthy range.
Conclusion
In conclusion, adequate sleep is a key factor for overall health and wellness when it comes to avoiding obesity. To ensure we maintain a healthy weight, it’s important to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night. This will help reduce the appetite-stimulating effects of hormone imbalance and reduce the urge to eat sugary snacks.