Being sleep deprived can have far-reaching consequences. Poor sleep can lower our productivity, increase our risk of accidents and make us depressed.
Chronic sleep deprivation also can increase our risk for heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
One of the lesser-known consequences of sleep deprivation is its effect on our ability to manage our body weight. Poor sleep disrupts many of the hormones related to hunger, satiety, energy production and fat storage.
For example, leptin is the hormone that regulates satiety. It helps you recognize when you’ve had enough to eat. Ghrelin is the hormone that regulates hunger. When you haven’t had enough sleep, your leptin levels are decreased, and your ghrelin levels are increased. In short, you are hungrier when you don’t get enough sleep.
Other hormones and their functions that are affected by too little sleep include insulin (storage), cortisol (blood sugar release) and growth hormone (repair). These hormones also affect our weight and where our body stores extra weight.
Most adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep. If you are not getting enough, here are some suggestions from the American Sleep Association that could help improve the quality and duration of your sleep:
- Maintain a regular sleep routine. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
- Avoid naps if possible.
- Keep your bedroom dark and cool.
- Don’t stay in bed awake for more than five to 10 minutes. Get up and go to another room for a few minutes and then try again.
- Don’t watch TV or read in bed.
- If pets awaken you, keep them out of the bedroom.
- Exercise regularly, preferable early in the day.
- Avoid caffeine late in the day (coffee, chocolate, soda, sports drinks).
- Avoid other substances that might interfere with sleep, such as cigarettes or alcohol.
- Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillow.
- If you’re a clock watcher, hide the clock.
If you still have trouble sleeping or if you don’t feel rested after you sleep, talk to your doctor. They may suggest a sleep study to determine whether there’s a medical condition affecting your ability to get a good night’s rest.
I hope you used the opportunity of the clock being set back last weekend to gain an extra hour of sleep and remember that quality sleep is an important part of your overall health.
And if you’re carrying some extra pounds, prioritizing sleep may help you lose them.
- Sherry DeWalt is the healthy lifestyles coordinator for the CGH Health Foundation in Sterling.