COMMENTARY

Fat and tired?

Thursday,  January 12, 2006

How much sleep did you get last night? If you slept less than seven hours, you may be getting fat. Compared to the well-rested, several studies found that sleep-deprived people were more likely to become obese.* 

Those who got less than four hours of sleep increased their risk by a whopping 73 percent! Five-hour sleepers increased their risk by 50 percent and even those who achieved the respectable six hours increased their risk for obesity by 23 percent compared to those who slept seven to nine hours.

How does this happen? 

Two appetite regulating hormones are affected when we don’t get enough sleep. Leptin, known to suppress appetite and limit the body’s food intake, is lower among the sleep deprived. Meanwhile, grehlin, which makes people want to eat, increases when we don’t rest enough. Ever crave junk food when you’re stressed out and tired? Now you know why.

Of course sleeplessness isn’t the only reason for excess fat. When you’re exhausted and have to keep moving through the day, it’s only natural to want food to provide you with energy to cope. 

One of the studies observing the relationship between poor eating and sleep behaviours found that men who slept less ate more calorie-rich, high-fat, processed foods. Through my work in clinical obesity and weight loss research, I know it’s also very hard to motivate tired people to exercise – especially if they’ve already eaten junk food. 

My former boss, Dr. Steven Heymsfield and colleagues at Columbia University and St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York, published the study showing the link between sleep and obesity. Conclusions were based on data from 18,000 American adults participating in the federal government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. 

Dr Shahrad Taheri of Bristol University’s Henry Wellcome Laboratories published the study demonstrating the relationship between leptin, grehlin, and sleep. Other research by different scientists confirm their findings in populations across the US and UK.

Despite all we know about the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle, we continue to lose sleep. In the last 50 years, some studies show that we’ve cut our sleep by two hours every night. Maybe this has something to do with the rising rates of obesity. Regardless, this statistic does imply how we’re spending our time. 

Most of us are not waking up earlier than our parents did, so we must be staying up later. Are you burning calories late at night or sitting in front of a TV, computer or bar digesting calories? Whether or not you spend the sleepless hours gobbling extra goodies, your tired state will affect appetite-regulating hormones as well as your motivation to exercise.

Poor diet and physical inactivity is the second leading cause of death in America and many scientists believe these risky behaviours will quickly become the most common cause of death, killing more people than tobacco.*

Since sleep deprivation influences food cravings and the energy to exercise, those who want to maintain or lose weight in 2006 need to make time for sleep.

Many have trouble falling or staying asleep and there are several homeopathic and pharmaceutical remedies available. The first step to a good night’s rest is to establish sleep patterns that begin and end at the same time, even on weekends (no sleeping in!).

Creating a night-time routine or a relaxing atmosphere before bed is another way to help you sleep. Before retiring at night, try taking a bath in a dimly lit room with fragrant oils and ensure your bedroom has dark window coverings. Also avoid eating products with sugar or caffeine within a few hours of bedtime.

If behavioural changes don’t work, natural agents, such as Hyland’s Calms Forte™ are available at vitamin stores and online. Of course you should seek medical help if sleeplessness persists and thoroughly research any supplement or medication before deciding to take it. 

One of the challenges of living in a paradise like Cayman is balancing personal responsibilities with the desire to indulge in the array of readily available island delights. Unlike tourists who tend to leave Cayman rested and relaxed, many of us pack our schedules with work, leaving no time for rest and relation. 

Or we work hard and play as if we’re on vacation, which leaves little time to take care of ourselves. 

Make 2006 the year to treat yourself to better health! Take it easy and try to improve one health behaviour at a time. For this month – maybe you can commit to getting more sleep. Once you are successful with a new behaviour for at least six weeks, begin to consider other changes. 

Just be sure not to overhaul all of your health habits simultaneously because you’ll be less likely to sustain any improvements. It’s better to change one behaviour for a lifetime rather than all of your behaviours and relapse.

Take good care and get some sleep tonight. Enjoy the peaceful serenity that comes with island life and let our gentle waves rock you into dreamland.

Most important: don’t lose sleep over the little things – like how much you weigh. 

Sleep well dear Cayman. Sweet dreams. 

*Gangwisch JE, Malaspina D, Boden-Albala B, Heymsfield SB, Inadequate sleep as a risk factor for obesity: analyses of the NHANES I, Sleep. 2005 Oct 1;28(10):1289-96.

Taheri S, Lin L, Austin D, Young T, Mignot E., Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index., PLoS Med. 2004 Dec;1(3):e62. Epub 2004 December 7.

Spiegel K, Tasali E, Penev P, Van Cauter E. Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and apetite Ann Intern Med. 2004 Dec 7;141(11):846-50.

Mokdad A, Marks J, Stroup D, Gerberding J, Actual Causes of Dealth in the United States, 2000 JAMA. 2004;291: 1238-1245.

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