How Can Loss of Sleep Cause Obesity

Did you know that loss of sleep can cause obesity? Sleep. Appetite. Obesity. These are three seemingly unrelated words, but in reality, they are more associated with each other than they seem.

Having a hectic schedule can cause you to stay up late at night, resulting in loss of sleep. This, according to many established researches, can result in an increased appetite, and eventually, obesity. There is a well-documented relationship between short sleep duration and high body mass index (BMI). This may seem far from reality, but science can explain it well.

The serotoninergic system is known to modulate mood, emotion, sleep and appetite and thus is implicated in the control of numerous behavioural and physiological functions. This means, hormones regulate the emotions, sleeping patterns and appetite. Certain hormones can send signals to make you hungry. Some tell you when the time for sleep is—sending signals to make you feel drowsy and ready to fall asleep. Chronic sleep loss elicits hormones that can lower the leptin, "appetite control" hormone—the one that tells you when you are already full; this in turn increases ghrelin, which triggers hunger. This hormonal pattern is often called the “yin yang” of appetite control.



This theory is further substantiated with numerous researches about it. In one research, subjects who slept only four hours a night for two nights had an 18 percent decrease in leptin and a 28 percent increase in ghrelin. These subjects reported a 24 percent increase in appetite, with a surge in desire for sweets, such as candy and cookies, salty foods such as chips and nuts, and starchy foods such as bread and pasta.

It may not look alarming that sleeping could be one of the causes of obesity, but in the bigger picture, it actually is. Today, about 20% of Americans report that they get less than 6 hours of sleep on average. Before, Americans sleep for eight and a half hours on average, now the average amount of sleep they get is seven hours. This remarkably exacerbates the plight of obesity in America. And this problem is actually more alarming for children. Those who got the least amount of sleep overall had a 4.2 times higher risk of tipping the scales in the obese range than other children. These numbers speak volumes of the currently lifestyle of children. Nowadays children tend to spend more time slacking off in front of computer screens instead of going outside and engaging in physical activities.

Obesity could be solved in many ways. You could have a more active lifestyle, through exercising or engaging in sports. You could opt to undergo efficient weight loss programs like Diet Go and Bistro MD, which could surely provide quick and desirable results. And who says there is no savings promo code for programs such as this. Because even if you are on a budget, you don’t have to hesitate as you can use coupon code and coupon discount to avail of these weight loss programs at an affordable price. Some would even undergo cosmetic surgery to lose weight to avoid the rigors of dieting and exercise. But sometimes all you have to do is keep track or at least be aware of the factors causing obesity. Just hit the sack earlier than usual. Avoid having six-hour sleeps. You don’t know, maybe you will wake up one day having the body that you desire. These small things should not be taken for granted, for they will give significant beneficial effects in the long run.

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