We’re used to hearing that exercise is a critical component to achieving long-term weight loss and that it plays an important role in preventing weight gain. This is certainly true. Exercise not only helps us maintain a healthy body weight, it also contributes to cardiovascular health and can be a great mood-booster (isn’t your outlook on life better after a good workout?). But what about sleeping more? Would you believe that getting more sleep can also help prevent weight gain?
The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School reports that multiple studies suggest a correlation between lack of sleep and weight gain because sleep plays a critical role in metabolism (1). Additionally, people who regularly get less than six hours of sleep each night are more likely to be overweight (2).
To understand why sleep has such an effect on appetite, it may help to think of sleep as an opportunity for our bodies to reset and repair themselves. Part of this process includes reestablishing a balance between leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that affect hunger and appetite.
- Leptin: the hormone that sends signals of fullness to the brain, especially after a meal. Leptin levels are low when we wake because we have not eaten (2).
- Ghrelin: the hormone responsible for stimulating our appetite for food. Ghrelin levels are highest when we have not eaten for a long period of time, such as after several hours of sleep (2).
Ideally, when we wake, leptin levels will be low (ie: not telling our brains that we’re full, because we’re not!) and ghrelin levels will be high (ie: telling our brains that we are hungry!). However, lack of or poor quality sleep results in lower than normal leptin levels, which means that our brains might not get the message that we are full, even after eating a large meal. Furthermore, inadequate sleep can lead to increased ghrelin levels. This means we might feel hungrier than usual, or that we might feel hungry again, despite having eaten recently (2). Getting adequate sleep can help regulate these hormones, and therefore can help regulate your appetite.
The National Sleep Foundation (3) provides the following chart as a reference for determining how much sleep an individual needs. Are you getting enough?
Undoubtedly, sleep is considered a luxury in our society. Most of us put our many daytime responsibilities and commitments before sleep. We must keep up with work and spend time with and care for significant others, children, and possibly aging parents. Don’t forget about the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the errands, and the doctor’s appointments. And if you’re a student, please make sure you read chapters four and five and finish that paper by Friday.
Granted, for most of us, there isn’t a lot we can cut out of our day. But there are some things we can do to make sure the sleep we do get is the best it can be. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (4) suggest the following practices, which they term “sleep hygiene.”
- Go to bed at the same time each night, and rise at the same time each morning.
- Sleep in a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment, which is neither too hot nor too cold.
- Make your bed comfortable and use it only for sleeping and not for other activities, such as reading, watching TV, or listening to music.
- Remove all TVs, computers, and other “gadgets” from the bedroom.
- Avoid physical activity within a few hours of bedtime.
- Avoid large meals before bedtime.
All of the above are good things to practice. But instead of simply learning how to manage the effects of inadequate sleep, let’s strive to make sleep a priority and reap the benefits of a regular and healthy appetite!
References
1. Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Benefits of Sleep. 2008. Available at: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep. Accessed November 14, 2011.
2. Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Sleep and Disease Risk. 2008. Available at: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences/sleep-and-disease-risk. Accessed on November 14, 2011.
3. National Sleep Foundation. The How Much Sleep Do We Really Need. 2011. Available at: http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need. Accessed November 17, 2011.
4. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Sleep and Sleep Disorders. September 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/features/sleep/. Accessed November 17, 2011.
Great Post! I always need to force myself to get enough sleep. Thanks for the reminder and scientific background
Very important information!! I try to tell all of my patients that ” you need sleep to heal.” Perhaps just as important …you need sleep to stay well and to maintain resilience.
Great Article!!! I love all the facts and the breakdown of information, I learned things that I did not know about sleep, I especially liked the definitions and chart of hours of sleep. Thanks!
When you don’t get enough sleep….nothing in your bod works well.