Yes! You heard it right. Sleep deprivation and obesity are deeply correlated. One would think that excess sleep and lethargy can result in obesity but our doctors warn that doing quite the opposite can also have similar results. Reduced sleep in adults and in children, has shown an increase in weight gain. Let’s dig in deeper and understand why this happens.
Obesity is nothing but uncontrolled weight gain that is higher than what is considered healthy for a given person’s height and stature. It is a well-known fact that the risk of obesity in an individual is related to genetics, lack of exercise and bad eating habits. So where does sleep or the lack of it figure in this equation? Here are three major factors that lead to obesity in a sleep deprived person.
Apparently, your hormones play a significant role in weight gain. Lack of sleep leads to hormonal imbalance which initiates the secretion of ghrelin, an appetite stimulating hormone. Interestingly, secretion of leptin a hormone that is known as the ‘starvation hormone’ decreases when your body does not get enough sleep. This increases the appetite for carbohydrates rich food. This surge in hunger, when coupled with fatigue and decreased physical activity ultimately, leads to weight gain.
Studies also reveal that sleep deprivation has a direct impact on processing glucose in one’s body. The ability to process glucose in the blood declines drastically when subjected to less sleep. Short sleepers also require 30% more insulin than regular sleepers which exposes them to a high risk of obesity. Glucose tolerance tests conducted on normal and short sleepers revealed that the latter experienced changes that affected their body weight.
If your daily night sleep is less than what it should be, you are bound to feel less active during the day. In all likelihood, you may give that daily exercise routine a miss thus confusing your hormones even further. Obviously, day time fatigue and lack of physical activity is an important element in weight gain.
Sufficient amount of sleep and a good sleep pattern is paramount in controlling weight gain in individuals. Fatigue, sleep and hunger have similar psychological manifestations and hence our brain sends confusing signals to our body. As is obvious, adequate sleep can be a root to all major problems including risk of obesity and weight gain. Take the Sleep@10 pledge with us and commit to giving your body the amount of sleep it duly needs. Reclaim your good health with Godrej Interio's Sleep@10 - a cause worth sleeping for.