The weight gain and sleep apnea
connection

Would you be surprised to discover that weight gain and sleep apnea are intertwined quite closely?

Well... 'surprise!' it seems that they are!

In fact research done at Columbia University indicates that people who sleep 5 hours or less per night almost double their risk of becoming obese!

Other studies (including research done at the University of Chicago Medical Center), indicates that sleep deprivation may be a key risk factor for developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Sleep deprivation and weight gain
- the big picture!

The link between sleep deprivation and weight gain seems to be firmly linked to our hormone levels. Loss of sleep increases your bodys' production of the hormone Ghrelin (which stimulates hunger), and decreases the levels of the hormone Leptin (which under normal circumstances, 'tells' your brain when your body doesn't require any more food!).

The results of this imbalance make you feel hungry all the time and encourages over-eating, while simultaneously slowing down the rate at which your body burns up the calories you're consuming. Ouch!

To make matters worse, it also causes your blood sugar levels to rise, increasing your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

It's not just the physical changes caused by sleep deprivation that increase the risk of obesity in people who suffer from insomnia, sleep apnea and other chronic sleep disorders. Getting too little sleep can also lead to behavioral changes that result in a tendency to gain weight.

For example, people who are chronically tired may suffer from depression, this often leads to 'comfort eating'. The types of foods that provide this sort of solace (and may be the object of your cravings) are often high-fat, high-sugar 'fast' or 'junk' foods. Being tired all the time can also mean that you're too tired to exercise regularly, if at all.

Combine these two situations and anyone can see where weight gain becomes pretty much a 'given'.

Weight gain and sleep apnea

While sleep deprivation has been shown to lower leptin levels (remember, this is the hormone that is supposed to tell you when you're not hungry), a high fat diet does the same thing.

Studies have also shown that people who are overweight, obese, or have a large body mass, are at a significantly greater risk of developing sleep apnea than people who are at a correct, or below average, weight.

So, if you're overweight, you may already have decreased levels of leptin, you may also have sleep-apnea (take this simple online Sleep Apnea Test to find out), and the resulting sleep deprivation can further reduce those leptin levels.... and so it goes on. It's a vicious circle really, with each condition compounding the other one - a double whammy!

To break this connection between weight gain and sleep apnea, you need to find out if you have sleep apnea, or another sleep disorder which causes insomnia (here's another simple online test to determine if you're suffering from insomnia - DIY Insomnia Test). Once you know what the problem is, you can get the correct professional help to deal with it and break the connection between sleep deprivation and weight gain for good.

It's not only sleep apnea that seems to be linked to weight gain either. Several studies have been done to investigate the connection between sleep deprivation and weight gain, and although there are still many questions to be answered research seems to prove this a valid theory.

It seems that women who sleep poorly are more at risk of gaining excess weight than their well-rested counterparts. For some reason this doesn't seem to happen as readily with men. More studies are underway that hope to provide more answers in time.

Of course, although getting a good nights' sleep will go a long way towards helping you take back control of your appetite, other changes such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are essential if you want to be trim and healthy.

A connection between sleep apnea and weight loss?

It also helps to maintain optimum levels of Leptin, so that you don't feel hungry before your body actually NEEDS to eat.

With obesity becoming a nationwide (and international) health concern, understanding the relationship between sleep apnea and weight loss puts you 'ahead of the game' and may make your battle of the bulge just that little bit easier.

Sleep Deprivation and weight gain in children

These studies show that elementary school children who get too little sleep, have up to a 40% greater risk of being obese by the time they enter middle school, than their peers who sleep for longer.

The optimum amount of sleep for a Third Grade child would appear to be somewhere around 9 1/2 - 10 hours. But 11, or even 12 are also good. Less than that and your child could begin to pay the price.

A good, nutritious diet, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle are all important factors in keeping your children strong and healthy.

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