Sleep off the Fat

I knew it was good for me to sleep 7-10 hrs. per night and if I didn't, fit it in between naps or make up the hrs. over the weekend.

Imagine... shedding pounds simply by spending more time in never-neverland. Sounds like something out of a late-night infomercial.
But two new studies show a striking connection between amount of sleep and levels of appetite-regulating hormones in the body.

The findings suggest that chronic sleep deprivation could be making you fat.
American adults have cut their average nightly sleep time by nearly two hours in the last 40 years. And while we've lost sleep, we've gained weight: In 1960, only one out of four adults was overweight, and one out of nine was considered obese. Now, two out of three adults are overweight, and nearly one out of three is obese.

Previous research had shown an association between shorter sleep time and higher body mass index, but no one knew why, says Dr. Shahrad Teheri, an endocrinologist at Bristol University, and lead author of one of the two new studies.

He and his colleagues used data from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort, which has tracked the sleep habits of over 1,000 volunteers for 17 years. They found that those people who slumbered (on average) five compared to eight hours each night had a higher body mass index.

And when the researchers collected blood samples from the volunteers, they discovered that the sleep-deprived had higher levels of ghrelin in their blood. Ghrelin is a hormone produced in the stomach that sends out hunger signals to the brain, which then commands you to be interested in food.

At the same time the sleep-deprived had high levels of hunger-stimulating ghrelin, they had lower levels of leptin. Leptin is another appetite-regulating hormone; it's produced by fat cells and delivers satiation signals to the brain. The particular hormonal ratio of high ghrelin/low leptin was likely encouraging the group to load up on unnecessary calories.

articles.health.msn.com...

great news.

now, when the wife wakes me at noon and says I am a lazy do nothing p.o.s. I can tell her to back off, I'm dieting.

On a related note I recall watching a design program about this bodybuilding couple getting their bedroom redesigned to make it more relaxing when they need to sleep during the day.

Apparently bodybuilding supplements they were taking in preparation for competitions worked during the process of sleep building muscle.

I thought that was quite interesting.

now, when the wife wakes me at noon and says I am a lazy do nothing p.o.s. I can tell her to back off, I'm dieting.

Ok, had to laugh!

Crakeur.......that was a Cracker !


...Good find Questor...

helen

American adults have cut their average nightly sleep time by nearly two hours in the last 40 years. And while we've lost sleep, we've gained weight: In 1960, only one out of four adults was overweight, and one out of nine was considered obese. Now, two out of three adults are overweight, and nearly one out of three is obese.

so "extra fries with that sir" has nothing to do with it after all,Halleluiah.

jack, fries and a pillow shall replace fries and a coke and from now on, it would be best to not drive thru the restaurant but, rather, go in, sit down and sleep off that meal.

Helen, I'd say thanks but I just had a huge piece of cake and I need to sleep now.

This fits into the same category of research that my sister/aunt/cousin (smokescreened to protect the guilty) once tried to spoon-feed me. She had read that talking on the phone burns as many calories as gym exercise, and used it to justify her lifestyle of the past 10+ years.

The way this research is presented, it's a little easy to deduce that it is clouding the very poor dietary and exercise habits of much of the population it is reporting on.

The other ridiculous notion presented is the causal one. It would be more valid to conclude that people with a higher body mass index (at the obese end and the morbid end of things) will have more sleeping difficulties and therefore sleep less hours.

Uh, folks, this study is representing one cause out of many.

It never states that it is the only cause.

Lighten up! (No pun intended)

I did. At 280 pounds I had love handles. At 230-240 pounds I am lean - muscular - athletic - svelte...

I am suggesting, conversely, that hours of sleep are hardly a causal factor in being at target weight or overweight at all. Hours of sleep are only co-related through other lifestyle and health factors. You're already unhealthy, you will tend to sleep less - not the other way around.

Hmmm hang on... of course... when you're asleep, you can't eat crap food and keep stuffing your mouth while you live your slow death sedentary lifestyle! I should have known.

The research is bunk (no pun intended either).

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar

Hmmm hang on... of course... when you're asleep, you can't eat crap food and keep stuffing your mouth while you live your slow death sedentary lifestyle! I should have known.

The research is bunk (no pun intended either).

I think you're missing the point. They are saying that hunger-causing hormones in the body increase on less sleep. Considering that when the body undergoes stress it is more hungry, and lack of sleep increases overall stress levels, I'd say it's a good theory. Of course people overeating or having too much comfort food makes them fat, but the urge to eat high-fat foods does not come entirely from the mind.

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
I did. At 280 pounds I had love handles. At 230-240 pounds I am lean - muscular - athletic - svelte...

Hum. . .that sound like a hunk, now how tall are you?

I am going to tell all of you something, if is something I have learn from years of working my butt off trying to keep my weight as I get older is that you have to work hard, diet hard and deprived yourself of the goodies if you want to stay slim and trim.

Is not miracle pills or miracle diets or miracle of anything, just dedication and lots and lots of hard working hours of exercise.

Sometimes I feel that I should just trow the towel and give up.

But is like an addition.

Interesting, but people might take this the wrong way, thinking that sitting around doing nothing is the same as sleeping. That was funny about telling your wife you are dieting too...should tell that to my girlfriend when i am napping !

Interesting adaptation mechanism. But how in the heck can us poor moms manage 8 hours of sleep???

Originally posted by Indellkoffer
Interesting adaptation mechanism. But how in the heck can us poor moms manage 8 hours of sleep???

ambien or vicoden usually works


marg, miracle diet that works - atkins. I dropped 80 pounds by dropping the carbs. been 3 years now and I haven't put back any of it. am I healthy otherwise? don't know but I won't be buried in a special wide casket.

Originally posted by Crakeur

marg, miracle diet that works - atkins.

I have been a faithful follower of that diet for 3 years now, but with a twist I will tried to keep the fat at a minimum.

The reality behind the diet, well you just have to stay out of the junk food, anybody that stays out of the junk food and sugar will lose weight also.

The reality behind the diet, well you just have to stay out of the junk food, anybody that stays out of the junk food and sugar will lose weight also.

That's right

How can people fall for all these Eat all and anything you want diets.....wake up people!!! Diets like that are just money scams that make fat people...err I mean overweight people feel good about themselves because they fell that they are making a difference in thier weight....

It's all about motivation and temptation.

Motivation - get out and walk, don't be lazy. Start off light and work your way up, you'll be running MILES in no time.

Temptation - SAY NO TO FAT!!!! I know it's easier said than done, but come on people.....unhealthy food IS an addiction for many people.

I know this topic is not about diets and all that...it's about sleep whatever.....but that sleep research bla bla bla is just another distraction that leads people away from the TRUTH and the only realistic sure way to shed weight.

sporty


[edit on 23/9/2005 by SportyMB]

Originally posted by SportyMB

.....but that sleep research bla bla bla is just another distraction that leads people away from the TRUTH and the only realistic sure way to shed weight.

sporty


[edit on 23/9/2005 by SportyMB]

Perhaps part of the truth that helps people lose weight is in the idea that getting 7 - 8 hours of sleep a night helps curb appetite and cravings for fatty foods.

This ariticle makes perfect sense to me. I have two kids with sleep problems and have been sleep deprived for the last three years. I definately feel hungrier on the day after a bad night. I can see how someone who needs sleep will turn to foods with high sugar or carbs in an attempt to keep going. The other side of this sword is that after months of 5 hour nights, exercise looks far too energetic.

Not to mention the fact that if you are awake for 19 or 20 hours a day, you have far more meals. Humans seem to get hungry every four hours except if they are sleeping. Less sleep - more meals.

Agree with you there. When I'm sleep deprived I eat more. Also, if a person is alseep then they're not eating which is a good way to lose weight too