Can Too Little Sleep Make You Gain Weight?
- From: rpautrey2 <rpautrey2@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:55:07 -0700 (PDT)
Can Too Little Sleep Make You Gain Weight?
Johns Hopkins University
Posted Thu, Jun 26, 2008, 5:36 pm PDT
Recent studies have linked inadequate amounts of sleep to weight gain,
obesity, and an increased risk of developing diabetes. In the past, I
have not been impressed with reports that found such an association
between inadequate sleep and weight gain — but it's hard for me to
ignore the similar findings in several recent studies.
A 2005 report, for example, involving about 25,000 men and women
enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys
(NHANES) found higher body mass indexes (BMIs) and more obesity in
those subjects who averaged less than 7 hours sleep a night. And a
2007 analysis of NHANES data found a nearly 50-percent increase in the
risk of diabetes among those participants averaging less than 5 hours
of sleep daily. About 1 in 10 of the men and women surveyed slept less
than 6 hours a day, while a comparable number slept for more than nine
hours a day.
Both of these studies found that sleeping for 9 hours or more did not
lead to weight gain or to a greater incidence of obesity.
Finally, results of a huge door-to-door survey of 87,000 American
adults conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS,
part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), revealed that
obesity was greater in those people who slept either less than or more
than 7 or 8 hours a day. Obesity rates were 33 percent among those who
slept less than 6 hours a night; 26 percent in those getting 9 hours;
and 22 percent in those getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
The NCHS survey also found that cigarette smoking was more common
among those sleeping less than 6 hours (31 percent of this group
smoked) or more than 9 hours (26 percent), compared with 18 percent of
those who slept 7 to 8 hours. A summary of the results of this study
is available from the NCHS.
And other evidence from experimental studies showed that sleep
deprivation raised blood levels of hunger-producing hormones and
considerably increased appetite. The sleep-deprived subjects
especially craved sweets, starches, and salty snacks.
So it begins to look like, besides recommending fewer calories and
more exercise to keep off the extra pounds, we should probably also
start prescribing more hours of sleep. (In my own case, I have also
learned that earlier bedtimes allow me to cut way back on my midnight
snacking.)
© 2007 Johns Hopkins University. All Rights Reserved. This article
from Johns Hopkins University is provided as a service by Yahoo. All
materials are produced independently by Johns Hopkins University,
which is solely responsible for its content.
URL: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthnews/14002/can-too-little-sleep-make-you-gain-weight/
.
- Prev by Date: FDA Boosts Bonuses Despite Ongoing Criticism From Hill
- Next by Date: Lawyers urge 'sofa rash' action
- Previous by thread: FDA Boosts Bonuses Despite Ongoing Criticism From Hill
- Next by thread: Lawyers urge 'sofa rash' action
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
