There really are not any short cuts if you are struggling with weight gain, but there is one thing you can do that is not so tough. Did you know that if you aren’t getting enough sleep at night, you could be destined to weight gain? It only makes sense though. The longer you’re awake, the more apt you are to eat more.
A recent study proves these results to be true. The study followed a group of 70,000 women, age 50 + over a 16-year period. It revealed that the women who got five hours or less sleep a night were at a higher risk to gain weight and to be Obese. Women who slept five hours a night compared to those who got seven hours were 32% more likely to have major weight gains of 33 pounds or more, and 15% were more likely to become Obese over the duration of the study.
The weight gainwas attributed to the fact that many of these women seemed to pivet around activities that reduced their metabolic rate and increased weight gain. They more also more likely to delegate activities, rather than doing the activities themselves. This new research was presented at the American Thoracic Society Meeting in May of 2006.
New Studies Being Done
As outrageous as the idea might sound, substantial medical evidence suggests some fascinating links between sleep and weight. Researchers now understand that how much you sleep and the quality of your sleep may determine the hormonal activity that’s associated to your appetite.
Sleep and sleep disruption do remarkable things to the body. If you’re not getting enough sleep, bad things can occur. No matter how much you exercise or try to eat right, you won’t be able to lose weight effectively. It would be like trying to walk a tight rope in high heels!
Doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep. It wasn't until recently that appetite entered into the picture too. The association was discovered by the research that was done on the hormones Leptin and Ghrelin. Doctor’s say that both of these hormones influence our appetite. How much or how little we sleep affect the production of these hormones.
In fact, if you’ve ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied, then you know what I’m talking about. These experiences are the influence of Leptin and Ghrelin at work in your system! When you eat and never feel satisfied, you are far more likely to eat more trying to satisfy your hunger pains.
How Hormones Affect Your Sleep
Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of ‘checks and balances’ system to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastro-intestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, signal’s the feeling of fullness.
So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives levels of Leptin down, which means you won't feel satisfied after you have eaten. Lack of sleep also causes Ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you’ll want to overeat. The two combined can cause a chain reaction for overeating, which in turn leads to weight gain. This vicious cycle is a precursor to pack on the pounds!
If you are looking for easy weight loss, get more sleep! It only makes sense. If you are asleep, you are not eating! The more you sleep, the less you eat, the more weight you’ll lose! How much easier can it be!
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