Study: Poor Sleep Linked To Weight Gain
It’s all starting to make sense now! Ever since I started working in morning radio, 9 years ago…I’ve noticed my weight tends to trend up, instead of staying the same / trending down. After reading about this study it’s starting to make sense to me.
Why does lack of sleep lead to weight gain? Poor sleep makes it hard to control your appetite, which can lead to health problems. Many previous studies have shown a link between poor sleep and a higher body mass index, but those typically relied on participants’ memories to know how well they slept. But thanks to sleep apps on fitness trackers and smartphones, we’ve got a new study!
In a new study out this week, researchers tracked sleep quality for 120-thousand people for up to two years using the high tech trackers and their data backs up what we’ve seen in previous studies. People with BMIs of 30 or higher – which is considered obese by the CDC – tend to sleep less and have more variable sleep patterns. But the thing is, it doesn’t take much less sleep to see the effect. Those with BMIs over 30 only slept about 15 minutes less than those on the smaller side.
When you don’t get good sleep, it’s harder to control your appetite and there’s a scientific reason why. Levels of a hormone called ghrelin spike when you’re sleep deprived, while levels of another hormone, leptin, go down and that leaves you feeling hungry. But in your tired state, you’re not craving carrots and kale, you want cookies and chips and that’s where the weight gain comes in. Want more control over your appetite? Try to get those recommended seven to nine hours of ZZZs every night.
After reading this, I’m definitely going to try and be more self aware of the sleep I’m getting. Which means no more scrolling Tik Tok videos at night for me!
Check out the full study here.