The inability to sleep at night weighs heavy on one's health,
as it may increase the risk of developing obesity.
The recommended amount of sleep per night is seven to nine hours;
however, most Americans average somewhere around six. Researchers
found that the further away one is from getting the recommended
hours of sleep, the higher their risk of obesity is.
Lack of Sleep and the Obesity Connection
- Less than four hours: 73 percent risk
- Five hours of sleep: 50 percent risk
- Six hours of sleep: 23 percent risk
A question that plagued researchers: How could more sleep lower
someone's chances of obesity if fewer calories are burned while
one is resting? The answer can be found in the concept of chronic
sleep deprivation, which is the recurring inability to sleep. This
condition often results in serious medical illnesses such obesity,
heart attack and stoke. Thus, a link was discovered between sleep
and neural pathways that regulate food intake.
If one is lacking the optimal amount of sleep, their leptin levels
drop. Leptin is a blood protein that suppresses appetite and affects
how the brain senses when the body is full. Also, sleep deprivation
raises levels of grehlin, which is a substance that increases one's
urge to eat. Thus, the less sleepy one is the less hungry they are.
ABC
News November 16, 2004
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