If you’re witnessing a few extra pounds around the midsection, our Beverly Hills gastroenterologist recommends you get more sleep. Scientific research shows a significant link between sleep deprivation and an increase in body fat.
While most of us choose to hit the gym more often or cut calories by skipping meals, the solution might be as easy as hitting the sack an hour or so earlier every night. According to Eve Van Cauter, the director of Chicago’s Sleep, Metabolism, and Health Center, a lack of sleep affects nearly every system in the human body.
A lack of sleep promotes a feeling of hunger which leads us to eat more and gain weight.
Van Cauter found that people who don’t get enough sleep produces higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that makes us feel hungry. Sleep also produces the hormone leptin, which helps us to feel fuller faster when we sit down to eat a meal.
Sleep-deprived individuals will eat approximately 300 more calories per day than those who are well-rested.
They usually tend to eat more as a way to boost their depleted energy levels or to stay awake longer, both of which can lead to the increase in body weight. The sleep-deprived usually make poorer food choices as well, opting for foods higher in carbohydrates.
In a 5-day study, those who didn’t sleep the traditional 8 hours per night gained some 2 lbs on average.
Over the course of an elongated pattern of erratic sleep, this can add up rather quickly. Sleep deprivation reduces the body’s ability to respond to insulin, which affects our fat storage and metabolic rates as well. So if you want to shed a few extra pounds, take a look at your sleeping habits. Getting more sleep is probably the most enjoyable way to lose weight ever invented!
About Gi Doctor
Dr. Peyton Berookim is a Beverly Hills gastroenterologist who specializes in colon cancer screening and its prevention. Book an appointment with him here. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter for more health tips and facts.
