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Do you fell that you need to lose
weight? Well then don’t just count calories. You might want to count sheep
as well.
Recent studies have shown that sleep deprivation disrupts a series of
metabolism and hormonal processes. It causes increased hunger and affects
the body’s metabolism making it difficult to lose and control weight.
Lack of sleep causes a hormone called cortical, which controls the
appetite, to take excess calories and store them as excess body fat. In
addition, sleep loss interferes with carbohydrate metabolism which may
cause high blood glucose levels. The excess amount of glucose encourages
the overproduction of insulin, which may lead to diabetes or even obesity.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation can promote weight gain by affecting our
behavior. People who lack sleep tended to crave sweets or high
carbohydrate, high fat food with low nutrient value. They tend to snack on
chips, cakes, pastries, burgers, fries, soft drinks, etc. Though the
short-term rise in blood sugar, brought on by these snacks, gives a surge
of energy, the extra calories are not needed by the body and must be
stored as body fat.
These calories are not so easily shed than taken. When they are sleep
deprived, people are often too tired to exercise or they work out less
intensely than usual. They commonly feel exhausted and lack the energy and
motivation to do even simple exercises. They rather go to sleep, or eat,
than go physical. In due time, the calories that are gained and not easily
burned are deposited in the body as fat.
Some people may require less hours of sleep to be in top condition during
the day; while others need more than 10 hours. But experts agree that most
people need at least eight hours of sleep each night to give themselves
enough energy to exercise, eat right and keep off those unwanted pounds.
Yet, according to a poll sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, only
30 percent of adults get eight or more hours of sleep on weeknights; while
52 percent do on weekends. A third of adults reportedly sleep no more than
six-and-a-half hours nightly.
In fact, disruption in the sleeping patterns in the United States and in
the industrialized world is thought as one of the main reasons that people
are getting overweight. People should start making behavioral and
lifestyle changes now for a better, healthier tomorrow. |
