Do you get 8 hours of sleep? Are you overweight?
My husband’s friend told me that he gained weight because of stress. I raised an eye brown at him. There are many of us who work hard to lose weight- regular exercise and controlled diet. Yet, we fail to succeed.
It is scientifically proven that those who slept five hours or less per night weighed more than those who sleep 7 hours or more. How? Our body toils hard and goes through a lot from morning to night and is tired by the end of the day. It needs rest and replenishment at night. Sleep deprivation stresses our body further and may change a person’s basal metabolic rate. It also alters our appetite, food intake and consumption of energy.
- There is also a possible link between sleep apnea and obesity. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a sleeping person stops breathing because his or her airways are obstructed. Apnea sufferers are normally middle aged, over weight men and are prone to health risks like high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
- Sleep deprivation also affects the hormone levels in a person. Leptin and Grehlin are the appetite regulating hormones which suffer in this case. Grehlin increases our appetite while Leptin decreases it. Lack of sleep is seen to increase the levels of Grehlin while also decreasing Leptin levels. So when we don’t sleep well we feel more hungry and end up eating more.
Even if you are not overweight it is wise to hit the bed early for a healthy tomorrow!
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