"I think there's room for us to learn more about the underlying mechanisms," Mehra says. But she notes that losing sleep is likely contributing to metabolic disregulation, at the very least: "I think we can pretty safely say, getting insufficient sleep is detrimental to your health," including metabolic health.
Not all doctors—and certainly not all patients—currently focus on sleep as a potentially important intervention for weight loss and metabolic health. For example, people trying to lose weight, especially via calorie reduction and exercise, might find it particularly difficult to feel full, ignore cravings for unhealthful foods and get enough high-energy exercise if they are short on sleep. "Clinicians assisting in weight-loss interventions may improve patient outcomes by discussing sleep time within a healthy lifestyle intervention," the researchers noted. Mehra adds that many of the patients referred to her for sleep-related concerns seem surprised to hear they should be getting more sleep.
Of course, getting more sleep can be difficult, especially with perpetually lit indoor environments and the glow of screens confusing our circadian rhythms. "Demands of a modern lifestyle, excessive time in front of brightly lit computer and television screens, shift work and jet lag, among other factors, result in partial sleep deprivation," Shlisky and her colleagues noted. But this new report, and other accumulating studies, suggest that it might be an important, and relatively simple step—compared with eating well and exercising—in the battle against the bulge, and for a healthy life in general.
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Add CommentThis is interesting. As an older, retired person whose diurnal cycle has gone through changes, I have noticed how much harder it is to keep the weight off despite regular exercise. The changes in sleep may be part of it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am intrigued by the author's reference at the beginning of the article to "solid sleep." According to David Randall's book "Dreamland," there's evidence that the "natural" (that is, before the invention of the electric light bulb) sleep cycle is segmented into a "first sleep" and a "second sleep," with an hour or two between segments. Now that I can sleep without the need to get up by a particular time, I definitely find myself sleeping that way, with a total average of about seven hours.
All this evidence and yet we wonder why there is an epidemic of obesity? Hasn't anyone ever thought to correlate the trend to push more and more people into shift work with its negative effects on sleep with obesity over time and large scale geographic areas? Why don't we outlaw shiftwork? It leads to car accidents, heart attacks and weight gain. Where are the insurance companies? They stand to gain if these problems are solved and they have the financial muscle to force other industries to reduce or eliminate shift work and improve health and accident rates.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisConnection between sleep and obesity is intriguing. Sound sleep reflects wellness. Wellness reflects smartness. Smartness reflects non-obesity. Thus, there is a very strong relationship between sleep and obesity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisS. N. Tiwary
Director, Former V. C. (Acting)
Getting more sleep might seem a "simple" solution to the issues of weight gain and mental absence; but for many people these days, working two (or MORE) jobs in order to keep their families' heads above water, sleep has become optional.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNot only the wealth, but the HEALTH, of the populace always suffers when feudalism reigns.
Well, I sleep eight hours per night and I feel well. To bed at ten and up at 6. Occasionally but seldom watch a movie till eleven or come home late on Saturday night, but sleep out on Sunday morning. Why not arrange your life aroun sleep?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDear "Pazuzu". "As an older, retired person", your problem with the regulation of body weight is related to the DECREASED Resting metabolic rate.... Read more here GOOD APPETITE from Switzerland.... http://www.vitasanas.ch/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/BOOK5_Resting_Metabolic_Rate_RMR.pdf
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFINALLY a weight gain is correlated with an ENERGY (Calories) intake greater than the PERSONAL DAILY CALORIC REQUIREMENT (PDCR) ! It is obvious, that less sleep means MORE time to eat... Read more abaout PDCR with the link below! http://www.vitasanas.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/BOOK4_The_personal_caloric_requirement__2_.pdf
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this" One study also found a change in another eating signal called peptide YY"!! We published 1996 a paper in "Nature" about the KEY role of the NPY (of the PEPTIDE YY family"). http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v382/n6587/abs/382168a0.html
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn 2002, the PHARMA-Company in which the discovery was made (NOVARTIS, BASEL) STOPPED all activities on obesity research just because the "body is smarter"!!!! See more in the book "eating healthy and dying obese" http://www.vitasanas.ch/wp/?page_id=370
See also chapter in the book about "Science feeds the confusion"!! http://www.vitasanas.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/BOOK-chapter_1_confusion.pdf
MUCH better to ARRANGE your LIFE around your LIFE NOT youe sleep! ENJOY LIFE! Science cretes many time ONLY confusion... I am a scientist!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEvery man is unique so this kind of statistical survey how much useful?How much sleep require is depend on every man on his gene, his upbringing,there are many factors are responsible for man`s obesity , so draw a conclusion only for sleep is futile
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