Getting a Good Nights Sleep Related to Weight Loss
Author: tiger Published Under: Health
Getting a full nights rest is important and can make the day go much easier, but a recent study suggests that getting enough sleep can also be important for keeping you weight down.
Researchers took eleven volunteers between the ages of 34 and 49, keeping them in a controlled environment, where they were given regular meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The participants were also given unlimited access to snacks and entertainment, such as television and the Internet. The only catch was that the researchers controlled how long they could sleep.
During the first two weeks, the participants were allowed 8.5 hours of sleep a night. During the second part of the study, the participants were only allowed to sleep 5.5 hours a night.
The researchers discovered that during the two weeks where the participants had limited sleep, they actually consumed more calories. On average, they consumed 220 calories more than the week where they got 8.5 hours of sleep.
It was also discovered that after seven PM, the participants were more likely to choose snacks that were high in carbs. Throughout the entire study, the calories from meals was the same. This study shows that not getting enough sleep really can increase the risk of obesity, which seems to offer a explanation of why previous studies have found those who are overweight typically do not get enough sleep.
Not getting enough sleep has also been shown to contribute to many health conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension. It can also affect the mind and a large number of traffic accidents occur when the driver has not gotten enough sleep.
Source : Nation’s Health; Mar2009, Vol. 39 Issue 2, p24-24, 1p