Exploring New and Old Health News Today – Sleep Deprivation Increases Appetite

Introduction 

Sleep is needed for many reasons and sleep deprivation increases appetite. Increase appetite will lead to consuming more food and in turn increase body mass.

The Science

Taheri et, al,. (2004) reported a lack of sleep has shown to affect food intake and metabolism and may be an important regulator of body mass index (BMI). This study conducted at Stamford University investigated these effects in 1,024 volunteers and found some interesting findings. When the data was compiled, a U-shape curve was found between sleep duration and BMI. Interestingly, short sleep duration was also associated with low leptin levels (a satiety hormone) and and high ghrelin levels (a hunger hormone).

Conclusion

Everyone needs sleep but the findings by Taheri et, al,. (2004) also show that lack of sleep increases appetite, increasing body mass and resulting in obesity. Get a good nights rest if your on a weight reduction program.

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Reference:

Taheri, S., Lin, L., Austin, D., Young, T., & Mignot, E. (2004). Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin, and Increased Body Mass Index. PLoS Med, 1(3), e62. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062

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