Study: Sleep deprivation leads to weight gain

 

"When people were sleep deprived, they ate an extra 549 calories per day," says researcher Andrew Calvin, MD, MPH, a fellow in cardiovascular disease and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester.

How true is that?

Calvin held a study on 17 men and women, ages 18 to 40, for a total of eight days at a sleep lab. They were each randomly assigned to sleep as much as they wanted or to sleep only two-thirds of their normal sleep time.

Everyone has access to as much food as they wanted. Food intake was logged.

While the sleep-deprived group ate the extra 549 calories daily, the comparison group actually ate about 143 fewer calories daily than usual.

The researchers tracked how active each group was. But they didn't find much difference in activity expenditure between both groups.

Sleep deprivation was linked with somewhat levels of leptin, the hormone that tells your brain you are full. 

It is linked to somewhat lower levels of ghrelin, the hormone that tells your brain you are hungry. The findings found the leptin levels went up and the ghrelin levels went down in the sleep-deprived group.

When this study was compared with previous findings, it was found to be consistently pointing that there are possible links of sleep deprivation to increase intake of calories.

This could be the contributing factor to the alarming rate of obesity rate increasing in the city as people continue to face stress and have poor lifestyle that leads to sleeplessness.

Have you noticed that your weight have been fluctuating for the past 3 months?

If yes, do seek help today. With proper monitoring of diet and lifestyle, there is a possibility of maintaining a good body shape and weight without having to lose weight artificially.

Leave a comment if you find that this article helps you.

Read also:                  
Sleeplessness: How does it affect you?
Sleep routines that HELP you sleep better
Sleep deprivation will lead to TYPE 2 diabetes

Opt-in to my mailing list and get in touch with me for a wellness screening to better understand the condition of your body which may be affecting your quality of sleep every day.

I wish you a good night's sleep,

 

Top reasons to cut down on your salt intake

Singaporeans are consuming more salt than they should and Minister of State for health said the findings of the survey were "a cause for concern". In general, men were found to consume about 9.6g a day, while women consumed about 7.1g a day which is more than 60 per cent above the recommended level of 5g a day for adults. This is particularly important in Singapore, because "6 in 10 people actually eat out at least four times a week".

Could cutting salt intake reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia?

A low salt diet may improve conditions such as anxiety, irritability, depression, fatigue and migraine headache the findings of an investigation of a low salt diet for “insomnia and tension states” was published in the Journal of the American Association in 1945 (1). Patients with “pronounced insomnia, nervous tension, anxiety and increased emotional liability” were instructed to follow a low salt diet with striking results.

After just four to seven days of the low salt diet the “majority of patients began to exhibit a gradual decline in nervous tension, activity drive and restlessness, accompanied by an increased ability to fall asleep and general improvement in the character of sleep.

It was noted that subjects “tended to retire at an earlier hour, usually falling asleep within ten to fifteen minutes and sleeping soundly until wakened at 6am.” Over a period of weeks the low salt diet also improved blood pressure, brain wave activity and concentration while reducing emotional reactivity and vivid dreaming.

What action can YOU take?

1. Start from the food that you eat- excess salt and sugar damage the blood vessels, leading to decreased blood flow. Excess saturated fat and trans fat can clog veins and arteries and impede circulation. In order to improve poor blood circulation, avoid canned foods and deep-fried foods, which often contain trans fats. When your circulation improves, the quality of your sleep will improve.
2. Exercise- to get rid of toxins and calories by sweating and thereby eliminating salt.
3. Drink plenty of water- removes the toxins by flushing it out of the body.

References:

Miller, M. Low sodium chloride intake in the treatment of insomnia and tension states. JAMA. 1945. 129; 4: 262-266.

Read also:
                  Sleeplessness: How does it affect you?
                  Sleep routines that HELP you sleep better
                  Sleep deprivation will lead to TYPE 2 diabetes

Opt-in to my mailing list and get in touch with me for a wellness screening to better understand the condition of your body which may be affecting your quality of sleep every day. 

Sleep routines that HELP you sleep better

This post is going to teach you a routine to improve your sleep!

Imagine that when you open your eyes in the morning, your mind is refreshed and you can immediately jump out of bed. Your eyes are clear and bright, and there are no signs of eye bags. After putting on your power suit, you make a quick check at the time. You are early for the meeting scheduled at 11am! If only every day is like today!

Would you like to have many days like that too?

The unfortunate fact is that, most people find it difficult to get out of bed once the alarm rings and they look dead tired when they start their day. Once lunch is over, they have a tendency to fall asleep and have poor concentration. This is the time when they drink the most cups of Nescafe, and struggle with the task on hand. 

What can you do if this scenario seems familiar to you?

Firstly, bedtime routine is part of sleep hygiene and helps us to prepare psychologically and physically for sleep. Try out these tips that may help you:

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol late in the day

• Eat the last meal of the day at least 2 hours before bedtime

• Cut down or avoid fluids at least one hour before bedtime

• Engage in exercise but avoid vigorous activity too close to bedtime

• Don't watch television in bed

• Relax your mind before bedtime

• Create a bedroom environment that enhances sleep

• Get up at the same time everyday

• Avoid daytime naps

Do you know…?
Relaxation is an important part of preparing for sleep. People who are plagued by a continuous stream of thoughts near bedtime can try listening to soothing music, relaxation tapes or meditation.

Our body temperature also plays an important role in determining the quality of sleep we have during the night. Our body temperature falls naturally towards the end of the day as we prepare to sleep. Having a warm bath, at least an hour before going to bed, can help raise the core body temperature and decreasing the transition time to sleep. Water has a relaxing effect on us, which also enhances sleepiness.

Exercising can also help to improve sleep. Physical exercise tires us out and results in the release of chemicals and hormones in the body that produce better quality sleep. Exercising in the afternoon rather than exercising close to bedtime is encouraged.

Having the right diet is important because we are what we eat. Inculcating the habit to have more fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet can help promote sleep.  As a first step, it’s a good idea to decrease the amount of stimulants you take in your body. Caffeinated drinks, chocolate, fizzy drinks, alcohol and nicotine, refined white sugar, junk or fast food, will lead to heartburn, dehydration, irritation of digestive process and irregularities in the heartbeat, if they are in our system for a long term.  All of which can contribute to wakefulness.

We also need to include a plentiful supply of vitamins and minerals in your diet. Therefore, eating food with high vitamin B content is vital. Vitamin B can be found in leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, lean meat and wheat germ.  Grapefruit juice, apples, apricots and honey have also been found helpful in promoting sleep. At the same time, having food rich in calcium and magnesium can also encourage the relaxation we need for sleep.

Are you curious whether you are having sufficient vitamins and minerals in your body? Would you like to enquire whether you are eating the right food for your body?

Opt-in to my mailing list and get in touch with me for a wellness screening to better understand the condition of your body which may be affecting your quality of sleep every day!

I wish you a good night's sleep,