Too Little Sleep Can Affect Weight

Obesity can be both a cause and a consequence of poor sleep.

Inadequate sleep is associated with several chronic diseases, including obesity. Obstructive sleep apnea — a type of sleep-disordered breathing that affects more than 18 million men and women in the United States, according to the National Sleep Foundation — is a common cause of poor sleep that’s often seen in overweight or obese individuals. Carrying excess weight in the neck or midsection applies pressure on the airways, restricting the flow of air and interrupting breathing throughout the night.

Scientists and clinicians are still attempting to understand the links between insufficient sleep and weight gain, but a variety of studies suggest that adding weight can indeed result from too little sleep. The next time you string together several late nights in a row, remember that daytime fatigue may not be the only consequence. Studies have found that consistently short sleep may disrupt metabolism and throw hormone levels — including those of hormones that stimulate appetite and signal satiety — out of balance, both of which may contribute to weight gain. Men and women who always feel tired because of inadequate sleep may be more sedentary and less inclined to exercise than well-rested individuals.

If you have trouble sleeping and struggle with excess weight, address both conditions before they exacerbate each other further. Speak with your primary care provider (PCP) about a referral to a sleep specialist, who will help you get to the bottom of your struggle to get enough rest. Your PCP can also help you craft a personalized plan of lifestyle — and possibly medical — interventions to lose weight, an accomplishment that will positively affect nearly every aspect of your health.

Creating A Sleep Sanctuary

Bedtime has arrived. You walk into the bedroom, set your phone on the bedside table and turn on the TV. The temperature in the room is a bit stuffy, but you’ll counteract that by rolling the blanket down to your feet. You get in bed, prop yourself up on the pillows, and surf Facebook and Twitter on your phone for 10 minutes before settling down to sleep. You know the too-soft bed will mean a sore back in the morning — you tell yourself you’ll replace the mattress one of these days. What’s wrong with this scenario? Everything — at least when it comes to good sleep hygiene.

Creating an environment conducive to sleep is essential to getting adequate rest. Use these tips to optimize your bedroom for sleep:

• Create a cool climate. If your bedroom is stifling or frigid, you won’t fall or stay asleep easily. Set the thermostat to a mild temperature.

• Go dark. You need the absence of light for quality sleep. Use curtains or shades to block outdoor light and reduce indoor light as much as possible.

• Match your mattress to your mission. Sleep is your objective, but it will be hard to achieve if an uncomfortable mattress constantly forces you to wake up and change positions all night. Invest in a mattress that strikes the right balance between soft and supportive.

• Send screens packing. Blue light from tablet, phone and TV screens hinders the body’s ability to release melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleepiness. Remove tablets and TVs from the bedroom. If you can’t stand to do the same with your phone, at least turn it upside down on the nightstand or place it in a drawer so its notification lights aren’t visible.

Source: Siloam Springs Regional Hospital.