If you don’t get enough sleep, you are more likely to gain weight. Why is that? I went looking for more information and found a good explanation on WebMD. The hormones that control feeling of hunger and fullness are called leptin and ghrelin. When you don’t get enough sleep, leptin levels drop so you don’t feel satisfied after you eat, and ghrelin levels go up which stimulates your appetite so you want more food. Together, leptin and ghrelin can get you into a cycle of overeating and, you got it, weight gain. Whoa.
So sleep can help balance these two hormones. That’s good, right? Well, for people with untreated sleep apnea, they may stop breathing up to a minute and sometimes hundreds of times during the night. Plain and simple that means they’re not getting quality sleep. What could be eight hours according to the clock could feel more like four.
That would lead you to believe sleep apnea can cause people to gain weight, right? Hold on, there’s more. Studies have shown that people with sleep apnea actually have higher levels of leptin. Once treated, some patients in the same studies were able to lose weight.
So, it isn’t very clear. It could be that when you get more sleep, you feel more energy and have better control over your weight. It also could be that leptin may be unique to each individual and that dietary habits, exercise patterns, stress levels, and genetics may all influence the production of leptin and ghrelin. The truth is, researchers don’t really know.
The good news is that getting enough sleep each night is still a winning habit. Oh, and by the way, research continues to find the link between eating and sleeping.
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