About 30 percent of adults around the world report one or more of the symptoms of insomnia: difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, waking up too early, and in some cases, non-restorative or poor quality of sleep. Sleep is involved in the optimal health of many bodily systems, including the digestive, immune and cardiovascular systems. Yet, in the hectic pace of modern-day society, where we feel as if we don’t have enough hours in the day, many people have come to consider sleep almost optional. Others suffer from sleep disorders such as insomnia—difficulty in falling or staying asleep—and sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by the cessation of breathing or in some cases under breathing during periods throughout sleep.
Scientists and researchers are now linking sleep loss to weight gain and disrupted levels of the hormones that control appetite and weight gain. Insulin resistance and blood sugar disturbances are also linked to lack of sleep.
Without enough quality sleep, the natural restorative cycles of the human body are disrupted, along with levels of several regulatory hormones—namely leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin and melatonin. Lack of sleep may down-regulate the satiety hormone leptin and up-regulate the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, thus increasing hunger and food intake. Another hormone, adiponectin, is essential for normal weight, blood sugar and cholesterol control.
Research indicates that melatonin plays a similar role, responsible for maintaining both a healthy weight and a healthy lipid profile—not to mention proper glucose metabolism. The bottom line: Cutting back on sleep, may set your body up for metabolic imbalance and eventual weight gain. For more information about our hormone-based medical diet, call Southern California Center for Anti-Aging today for you preferred appointment at 424.247.4962.
