How Sleep Can Influence Weight
A group of researchers from King’s College in London published a recent paper of an observational study in which they discovered that reduced sleep levels lead to weight gain and overall lack of energy. For many Americans, that average amount of sleep per night has been on the decrease with 36% of people sleeping less than six hours a night. With obesity on the rise in America and sleep levels decreasing, this study is important to better inform people of how to try to compensate for less sleep in a healthy manner.
This study was performed on a group of 42 people from ages 18-64 who, on average, slept for shorter than the normal recommended amount ranging from five to seven hours a night. Half of this group continued to sleep their usual amount while the other half increased their sleep each night to see what changes would result from increased sleep for a period of one month. On average, people were able to increase their sleep by one hour each night. The results of this study showed that people who slept more had a healthier diet and decreased their consumption of fats, carbohydrates, and free sugars while increasing their protein intake. People who slept less relied more on fatty and high carb food that contain lots of free sugars in order to supplement their energy levels. It is the consumption of these high calorie and sugar loaded foods that then lead to weight gain. Increasing the amount of sleep also led to a higher quality of sleep in which the participants felt more energetic compared to the sleep deprived group. Since these participants had more energy when they woke up, they did not need to use added sugars in order to make them feel more awake, thus showing the switch to a healthier diet.
This study was performed on a group of 42 people from ages 18-64 who, on average, slept for shorter than the normal recommended amount ranging from five to seven hours a night. Half of this group continued to sleep their usual amount while the other half increased their sleep each night to see what changes would result from increased sleep for a period of one month. On average, people were able to increase their sleep by one hour each night. The results of this study showed that people who slept more had a healthier diet and decreased their consumption of fats, carbohydrates, and free sugars while increasing their protein intake. People who slept less relied more on fatty and high carb food that contain lots of free sugars in order to supplement their energy levels. It is the consumption of these high calorie and sugar loaded foods that then lead to weight gain. Increasing the amount of sleep also led to a higher quality of sleep in which the participants felt more energetic compared to the sleep deprived group. Since these participants had more energy when they woke up, they did not need to use added sugars in order to make them feel more awake, thus showing the switch to a healthier diet.
Switching dietary intake to include more vegetables and proteins can help counteract the negative effects from the lack of sleep.
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Why were these findings important? Since many people do not sleep the recommended eight hours a night, there are changes that can be implemented in order to increase energy levels while maintaining a healthy diet. For example, instead of coffee and sugary energy drinks, herbal teas are a healthier option as they naturally contain caffeine without the added sugars from creamer, half-and-half, and other normally added ingredients found in coffee from chain stores and the large amounts of sugar present in energy drinks. Supplemental vitamins such as magnesium and Vitamin B-12 help increase energy levels and boost metabolism rates, which can balance weight fluctuations and energy. If increasing sleep levels is not a viable option due to having an extremely busy schedule, compensation of these negative effects can be made by boosting dietary intake via increased vegetables and proteins while limiting carbohydrate intake and highly processed foods that contain large amounts of sugar.
This study revealed a correlation between sleep and weight. Sleeping less can lead to weight gain as it can influence dietary choices and cause people to become more dependent on unnatural, free sugars in order to supplement the lack of sleep and increase energy levels. This pattern can have significant implications long term as it could lead to cardiovascular complications or diabetes. This study was significant because obesity is becoming a significant issue in the United States, so decreased sleep levels could be a possible influence
This study revealed a correlation between sleep and weight. Sleeping less can lead to weight gain as it can influence dietary choices and cause people to become more dependent on unnatural, free sugars in order to supplement the lack of sleep and increase energy levels. This pattern can have significant implications long term as it could lead to cardiovascular complications or diabetes. This study was significant because obesity is becoming a significant issue in the United States, so decreased sleep levels could be a possible influence
Featured Image Source: congerdesign
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