Our sleep and our weight are two very important components of our health and wellbeing that are often ignored at a regular medical visit. With our very busy lifestyles, we seem not to be getting enough sleep and we find ourselves eating on the go and eating out more. The number of Americans suffering from sleep disorders and obesity has been on the rise with now 1 in every 3 adult considered overweight, 2 in 5 adult considered obese and 1 in 2 adults sleep deprived.
Sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders including sleep apnea and narcolepsy have a strong association with obesity and on the other hand, people suffering from obesity may be at increased risk of some sleep disorders including sleep apnea. Both obesity and sleep apnea can lead to potentially serious medical conditions heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, cancers, anxiety and depression.
How Sleep Disorders Can Lead to Weight Gain.
Sleep disorders can lead to sleep loss which creates hormonal imbalance, promoting overeating and weight gain. Hormones that control appetite include Leptin (satiety hormone) and Ghrelin (hunger hormone). Sleep loss leads to increase levels of Ghrelin which makes you want to eat more. Also, sleep loss is associated with increased levels of cortisol (a steroid hormone) and growth hormone deficiency, which are both associated with weight gain. Sleep loss also impairs your ability to make good food choices. Furthermore, people experiencing sleep loss tend to get less physical exercise, probably because of the ensuing fatigue.
How Overweight can lead to sleep disorders.
People suffering from obesity are more likely to reports symptoms of difficulty falling or staying asleep. There are different possible explanations of these, with research suggesting metabolic changes and physical effect of carrying excess body weight contributing to sleep disorders. Some possible obesity-associated disorders that can affect sleep include Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a sleep disorder in which the airway collapses repeatedly during sleep leading to poor sleep quality, Gastrointestinal reflux disease with nocturnal heart-burn symptoms that can disrupt sleep, depression that has been shown to cause difficulty staying asleep, and osteoarthritis that can disrupt sleep with symptoms of joint discomfort and pain.
Healthy Sleep Habits:
Follow these tips to establish healthy sleep habits:
Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Go do a quiet activity without a lot of light exposure. It is especially important to not get on electronics.
Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
Avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon or evening.
Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.