The surprising effect sleep deprivation can have on the body in just six weeks
One study suggested that sleeping just one and a half hours less each night for several weeks could lead to weight gain.
Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night to stay healthy, but one in five adults in the UK don’t get enough sleep and around a quarter are living with obesity.
Sleep deprivation has long been associated with changes in appetite, resulting in overeating and weight gain, but a new study has suggested that this can happen surprisingly quickly.
A study by researchers at Columbia University found that even just six weeks of insufficient sleep is enough to cause someone to gain weight.
Marie-Pierre St-Onge, professor of nutritional medicine at the university’s department of medicine, said: “Getting adequate sleep can help reduce the risk of weight gain as well as obesity-related conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.”
For the study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine95 adults who usually get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night were instructed to delay their sleep by 90 minutes for six weeks. Then they slept at their usual time for another six weeks.
Sleep and activity levels were measured with a wrist monitor at each stage, as were changes in body weight, waist circumference, body composition, and hunger levels of various hormones known to increase or suppress appetite.
Researchers found that participants gained an average of 1 lb over six weeks with less sleep. They also remained sedentary for about 20 minutes longer than usual.
“Although the one-pound weight gain observed with a slight reduction in sleep is not much, it is important to remember that this occurs in just six weeks.
“Our study was designed to mimic the sleep patterns that most adults experience chronically. Extrapolated over an entire year, we would expect that losing less than an hour and a half of sleep per night could result in clinically significant weight gain,” said Faris Zuraikat, assistant professor of nutritional medicine in Columbia University’s department of medicine.
Not getting enough sleep is associated with higher levels of the hormone ghrelin, which increases appetite, according to scientists. In addition to making you feel more tired and therefore less likely to exercise, this can also contribute to weight gain.
Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, who was not involved in the research, said: “Sleep is a critical part of a healthy lifestyle. When we don’t get enough sleep, hormones that regulate appetite are disrupted, leaving us feeling hungrier and more likely to overeat. Fatigue can also reduce physical activity, meaning we burn fewer calories during the day. Plus, staying awake longer provides the opportunity to eat more.”
Alex Miras, professor of medicine at the University of Ulster, also explained that lack of sleep can affect the pancreas, but so can sleeping too much.
he said Independent: “Lack of sleep increases inflammation and insulin resistance in the body. The pancreas has to work harder to lower blood sugar by increasing the amount of insulin it produces. This can also lead to weight gain or worse metabolic health. At the other extreme, too much sleep is also associated with impaired metabolism.”
