Sleep and Obesity
Added Monday, October 8th, 2007 at 4:01 am | View Comments
Overweight and obese people tend to have more problems sleeping that other people and recent studies have shown that a reduction in sleep time could be one of the contributing factors for high obesity rates in the UK.
Changes to your hormones can occur if you are unable to get a good 8 hours uninterrupted sleep a night – though this can differ from person to person. This can lead to an increased appetite and weight gains. In particular, your body could be telling you you need an energy boost if you are tired, so you are more likely to crave sugary or starchy foods.
Of course, lack of sleep isn’t the only thing that can cause obesity. A lack of exercise and poor diet, when added to lack of sleep, are a recipe for weight gain.
If you are overweight you should consult your GP before making any radical changes to diet or fitness regime. For people who are unfit, exercising too close to your bedtime can result in fragmented sleep, often caused by aches and pains. If you do little, or no physical activity, early morning exercise should allow your body to naturally recover in time for bed. You should avoid strenuous physical activity up to 6 hours before you go to sleep.
Research in the USA and the UK has shown that children as young as two could be putting on weight, in part due to lack of sleep. For this reason, scientists are encouraging people to stop thinking about sleep as a ‘waste of time’ or ‘dead time’, as it is a vital period in the day which helps your body recover and rest.
There are strong links that when physical activity is increased, and diet improved, sleep naturally gets better. This is true of all ages, but sleep experts also suggest that specific focus needs to be paid to young people. Based on current levels and trends, experts believe that over one million children in the UK will be obese by 2010.
Aside from educating children on the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, proposals to combat childhood obesity include starting the school day later, so children get a lie-in, and a campaign aimed at parents to remove computers, televisions and mobile phones from their children’s bedrooms, so they go to sleep on time.
Sleep and obesity experts in Bristol believe this link is due to the fact that physical activity makes children tired, whereas they were less likely to sleep well if they had been watching television or playing computer games, as these devices stimulate the brain, making it harder for children to relax and drift off into sleep.
Here at bedstar, we know the value of a good nights’ sleep. That’s why we have a massive selection of discounted mattresses, cheap beds and leather beds – all superb quality and at great prices, so you can buy beds online in confidence.
3 COMMENTS
Healthy Mind & Body = Healthy Sleep :: Bedstar Knowledge Base
October 8th, 2007 at 5:30 am
[…] an affect on your hormones which could lead to weight gain if you are not sleeping properly. Our Sleep & Obesity article provides more information on […]
bluerose
October 8th, 2007 at 8:06 am
What good blog!!
“a reduction in sleep time could be one of the contributing factors for high obesity rates in the UK.” I have never thought this before. I met lots of “big” friends on largefriends.com, and we are in dying need of such information. Often we share everything with each other. I bet they will appreciate it very much if i recommend it to them. Thank you for post it!
www.topweightlosssecrets.info » Sleep and Obesity
October 14th, 2007 at 3:21 am
[…] Bedstar Team wrote a fantastic post today on “Sleep and Obesity”Here’s ONLY a quick extractOverweight and obese people tend to have more problems sleeping that other people and recent studies have shown that a reduction in sleep time could be one of the contributing factors for high obesity rates in the UK. … […]
Leave a Reply
