I am sure you are aware that there have been numerous studies and articles produced about the link with being overweight and sleep. Scientist have proven that sleep and our appetite hormones are connected in some way and one study has shown that those who slept less than eight hours a night not only had lower levels of leptin (a hormone produced in fat cells which sends a signal to the brain when you are full) and higher levels of ghrelin (a hormone which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and stimulates appetite) but they also had a higher level of body fat.
Today I read a about another study which also indicates the importance of sleep in relation to maintaining a healthy weight. (Click here to read more about this study). The study says:
“French scientists show that impairments to a gene known to be responsible for our internal body clocks, called "Rev-Erb alpha," leads to excessive weight gain and related health problems.....
"It is now clear that impairment of daily rhythms such as shift-work, exposure to artificial lighting, or jet-lag has multiple adverse effects on human health, every effort should be made to maintain or restore normal temporal organization and to avoid potentially disruptive behaviours such as nocturnal meals or light exposure at night."It seems possible then that waking in the night, turning on the light, and eating, could all play a part in what is making us fatter.
So, the question is what can you do about it?
Of course, the obvious answer is to not wake up in the first place so perhaps the first place to start is to discover why you are waking up and what you could do differently to either remain asleep or go straight back to sleep.
When I struggle to go back to sleep it is usually when I am worried or have something on my mind. One way to deal with distracting yourself from these thoughts might be to turn on the light and read or watch television but if you want to avoid the light exposure since it may impair our internal body clock and lead to weight gain, you might have to find some other distraction.
Another typical distraction might be to have something to eat but again, this could be a potentially disruptive behaviour, and combined with the probability of having to turn on lights to get something to eat, could provide the perfect environment for weight gain....and an even more perfect one with the addition of the extra calories you are eating!
Perhaps the solution to helping yourself sleep well is to finding a more positive way of dealing with what it is that is making you anxious or stressed so that you can feel differently about it. Can you imagine that by changing how you think and feel about your problem might help you feel less stressed, less worried and more relaxed. Your mind becomes clearer, you breath more evenly, your heart beats more regularly, your muscles relax.....you are in a more perfect environment for sleep and all the health benefits that perfect sleep brings you!
Today I read a about another study which also indicates the importance of sleep in relation to maintaining a healthy weight. (Click here to read more about this study). The study says:
“French scientists show that impairments to a gene known to be responsible for our internal body clocks, called "Rev-Erb alpha," leads to excessive weight gain and related health problems.....
"It is now clear that impairment of daily rhythms such as shift-work, exposure to artificial lighting, or jet-lag has multiple adverse effects on human health, every effort should be made to maintain or restore normal temporal organization and to avoid potentially disruptive behaviours such as nocturnal meals or light exposure at night."It seems possible then that waking in the night, turning on the light, and eating, could all play a part in what is making us fatter.
So, the question is what can you do about it?
Of course, the obvious answer is to not wake up in the first place so perhaps the first place to start is to discover why you are waking up and what you could do differently to either remain asleep or go straight back to sleep.
When I struggle to go back to sleep it is usually when I am worried or have something on my mind. One way to deal with distracting yourself from these thoughts might be to turn on the light and read or watch television but if you want to avoid the light exposure since it may impair our internal body clock and lead to weight gain, you might have to find some other distraction.
Another typical distraction might be to have something to eat but again, this could be a potentially disruptive behaviour, and combined with the probability of having to turn on lights to get something to eat, could provide the perfect environment for weight gain....and an even more perfect one with the addition of the extra calories you are eating!
Perhaps the solution to helping yourself sleep well is to finding a more positive way of dealing with what it is that is making you anxious or stressed so that you can feel differently about it. Can you imagine that by changing how you think and feel about your problem might help you feel less stressed, less worried and more relaxed. Your mind becomes clearer, you breath more evenly, your heart beats more regularly, your muscles relax.....you are in a more perfect environment for sleep and all the health benefits that perfect sleep brings you!
Coming soon...Changing how you think and feel
No comments:
Post a Comment