Lack of sleep may cause weight gain
If you don’t get enough sleep, you may end up gaining weight. Although this is the opposite of what might be expected, a recent study showed that lack of sleep is actually more likely to cause weight gain.
Those who got less than 4 hours of sleep per night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who slept 7-9 hours. How can people who are up and about 3-4 more hours per day actually end up gaining more weight than people who stayed in bed? Part of the answer may be due to the hormonal changes that occur when people don’t get adequate sleep.
For instance, 15% higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger, were found in the sleep-deprived individuals. Leptin, the opposing hormone that gives you a feeling of satiety, was 15% lower in short-sleepers in a similar experiment. Gender, eating and exercise habits or body mass index ( BMI is a relationship of height and weight) had no influence on the outcome of the study.
Of course having 3-4 more hours in which to munch throughout the day can get some people in trouble, just like eating to stay awake for work or study.
The optimal amount of sleep for weight control appeared to be 7 hours 45 minutes. You need adequate sleep for many reasons, and it should be part of any weight-management program.