February 15, 2008
Lose Weight by Sleeping - Sleep Deprivation & Weight Gain
Do you fell that you need to lose weight? Well then don’t just count calories or cart. You might want to count sheep as well.
Recent studies have shown that sleep deprivation interrupt a series of metabolism and hormonal processes. It causes increased hunger and affects the body’s metabolism making it difficult to lose and control weight.
Lack of sleep trigger a hormone called cortisol, which controls the appetite, to take excessive calories and store them as excessive body fat. In addition, sleep loss interferes with carbohydrate metabolism to result in high blood glucose levels. The excessive amount of glucose cause the overproduction of insulin, which may lead to diabetes or even obesity.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation can cause weight gain by affecting our behavior. People who lack sleep tended to crave sweets or high carbohydrate, high fat food with low nutrient value. They tend to snack on chips, cakes, pastries, burgers, fries, soft drinks, etc. Though the short-term rise in blood sugar, resulting from these snacks, gives a surge of energy, the extra calories are not needed by the body and then are stored as body fat.
These calories are not so easily shed than taken. When they are sleep deprived, people are often too tired to exercise or they work out less intensely than usual. They commonly feel exhausted and lack the energy and motivation to do even simple exercises. They rather go to sleep, or eat, than go physical. In due time, the calories that are gained and not easily burned are deposited in the body as fat.
Some people may require less hours of sleep to be in top condition during the day; while others need more than 10 hours. But experts agree that most people need at least eight hours of sleep each night to give themselves enough energy to exercise, eat right and shed off those unwanted pounds. Additionally, according to a poll sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, only 30 percent of adults get eight or more hours of sleep on weeknights; while 52 percent do on weekends. A third of adults reportedly sleep less than six-and-a-half hours every night.
Statistically shown, disruption in the sleeping patterns in the United States and in the industrialized world is thought as one of the main reasons that is related to overweight. We should start changing lifestyle now for a better, healthier future.
Tag: Weight Loss Articles