In the News: Rest Up!
July 14, 2011 at 2:25 pm Leave a comment
Most of us have felt the effects of a night lacking good sleep. Fatigue, sluggishness and crankiness are common and no fun. Even so, some of us claim we don’t need the 7-8 hours and others (an estimated 50-70 million Americans) suffer from chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders.
But did you know that a lack of sleep may be associated with weight gain as well?
According to this Reuters Health article, evidence suggests that a correlation between sleep deprivation and weight gain exists and a recent study adds support to the theory. Compared to the day after a good night’s sleep, researches found that participants in a sleep study consumed an extra 300 calories on average when sleep deprived.
Although it’s unclear exactly why, researches have several potential explanations for the link.
One possibility: How much sleep we get may play an important role in our hormone regulation. When we don’t get enough, the hormones that help control our hunger may be thrown off balance.
Another possibility: Sleep deprivation affects our decision making. The more tired we are, the more trouble we have resisting temptation.
So don’t take a good night’s sleep for granted – it may help you keep your healthy eating habits on track!
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