{"id":113,"date":"2008-10-19T13:50:51","date_gmt":"2008-10-19T20:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/?p=113"},"modified":"2020-05-15T01:56:33","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T08:56:33","slug":"the-sleep-weight-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/?p=113","title":{"rendered":"The Sleep \/ Weight Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

You probably know that adequate sleep is essential to mental and physical performance, but did you know that lack of sleep could be the reason why you have difficulty shedding weight or that it can set you up for Type II Diabetes? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Lack of sleep and Type II diabetes <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Researchers at the University of Chicago conducted an important study, demonstrating that a sleep deficit of three to four hours for only one week had adverse affects even in young, healthy people. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span>In the second week of the study, the group showed a significant loss in the ability to process glucose, prompting their bodies to produce more insulin. As a result, the men who took part in the study had glucose levels that were associated with a pre-diabetic state. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Lack of sleep and weight gain <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A major study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that lack of sleep could diminish the production of the growth hormone GH later in life. GH plays an important role in controlling the proportions of fat and muscle. Having less of this hormone increases the likelihood of weight gain and the middle age paunch. \u00c2\u00a0But weight gain can be tackled with a smart diet choice<\/a>. <\/span>Another published study found that lower amounts of REM (deep or slow-wave) sleep seemed to be associated with higher evening cortisol levels. The hormone cortisol plays a role in regulating appetite. Adding to these findings, other studies have found a correlation between inadequate sleep and inadequate levels of the hormone leptin, which regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and signals the body when it should feel full. This has a direct influence on appetite and weight. When there are low levels of leptin, the body craves carbohydrates regardless of the amount of calories consumed. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now here’s the rub <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Not enough sleep can cause weight gain, on the other hand, weight gain affects your sleep adversely. A recent report from Reuters Health stated that weight loss improves breathing problems during sleep, inducing better quality and longer sleep. Dropping a few pounds could end up giving you a better night’s sleep. On the other hand, if you gain weight, your chances of developing some type of sleep disorder seem to go up. So, if you are overweight, your sleep can be impaired and if your sleep is impaired, you are more likely to gain weight. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What to do? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Attack both problems at once. Set a goal to lose one pound per week and practice these pre-sleep habits. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tips for better sleep <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

–Seven to nine hours of sleep are recommended every night.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Cut back on caffeine \u00e2\u20ac\u201c coffee, tea, chocolate. Some people get wired with just one cup of java. Know your cut-off level.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Limit alcohol and don’t drink right before bedtime. It can promote drowsiness, but disrupts REM sleep.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Exercise is good for you, but not late at night.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–A glass of milk before bedtime may work wonders.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Have a bedtime ritual.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Stop doing anything-stressful 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Don’t eat too close to bedtime.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Don’t nap or sleep in late.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–If you are worrying about something, get out of bed. Condition yourself that bed is for sleeping, not worrying.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Try not to obsess about not sleeping. The more you worry about it, the less you will sleep.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–If light is coming in to the room, block it off.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–Try a soothing bath or other relaxation rituals, including deep breathing, restful music, light stretching, muscle relaxation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–If you always have trouble getting to sleep, you might consider professional help.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For more information about getting a good night’s sleep, visit the National Sleep Foundation<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

“Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.” -Aldous Huxley<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You probably know that adequate sleep is essential to mental and physical performance, but did you know that lack of sleep could be the reason why you have difficulty shedding weight or that it can set you up for Type II Diabetes? Lack of sleep and Type II diabetes Researchers at the University of Chicago […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=113"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2794,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113\/revisions\/2794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}