Lack of Sleep Raises Your Risk of Obesity
A number of studies have demonstrated that lack of sleep can play a significant role in obesity, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes — all of which are at epidemic levels not only in the U.S. but around the world. The link between sleep deprivation and weight gain is explained by the fact that sleep affects hunger-related hormones. Studies show poor sleep increases ghrelin, which results in increased hunger, while simultaneously inhibiting leptin, the hormone that signals your brain when you're "full."
This combination results in increased hunger and food cravings, especially for carbohydrates. According to one recent study,15,16,17getting one extra hour of sleep per night may reduce your waist size by one-third of an inch. Compared to people who averaged just under six hours of sleep per night, those who slept an average of 8.45 hours per night (plus or minus 40 minutes) were roughly 7 pounds lighter on average, and had a waist circumference averaging 1.6 inches smaller.
Another study published in the International Journal of Obesity18 found that infants who sleep less eat more, which places them at increased risk of future obesity and related health problems. Infants who, at the age of 16 months, slept less than 10 hours per day ate an average of 10 percent more calories than those who slept for at least 13 hours daily.19
Sleep Deprivation Ups Diabetes Risk in Both Young and Old
Recent research20 also confirms that sleep is an important factor in children's risk for diabetes. A British team evaluated more than 4,500 children aged between 9 and 10 years of varying ethnic backgrounds. On average, their parents reported the children slept between eight and 12 hours, with the average sleep time being 10 hours.
Previous studies have shown children need more sleep than adults and this study confirms that view. Even at eight hours a night, children were at increased risk of obesity and insulin resistance when compared to those who slept the most.
According to senior author Christopher Owen, a professor of epidemiology at St. George's University of London, for children, more sleep is better, and there's really no upper threshold. He told The New York Times,21 "Increasing sleep is a very simple, low-cost intervention. We should be doing our utmost to make sure that children sleep for an adequate amount of time."
Other research22 involving adults found that women who slept five hours or less per night were 34 percent more likely to develop diabetes symptoms than women who slept for seven or eight hours each night. Another study23 published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that after just four nights of sleep deprivation (sleep time was only 4.5 hours per night), study participants' insulin sensitivity was 16 percent lower and their fat cells' insulin sensitivity was 30 percent lower, rivaling levels seen in full-blown diabetics.
Senior author Matthew Brady, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, noted,24 "This is the equivalent of metabolically aging someone 10 to 20 years just from four nights of partial sleep restriction. Fat cells need sleep, and when they don't get enough sleep, they become metabolically groggy."
Sleep Deprivation and Dementia
Lack of sleep or poor sleep has also been linked to an increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, the latter of which is now the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Researchers from University of California Berkeley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab discovered that a lack of sleep leaves you more vulnerable to buildup of amyloid beta proteins in the brain, associated with dementia.25Needless to say, chronic sleep deprivation is particularly risky.26
Problematically, amyloid beta deposits also hinder your ability to sleep, thus trapping you in a vicious cycle. Lead author Bryce Mander, Ph.D., neuroscientist from the University of California Berkeley was quoted in California Association UC Berkeley magazine, saying:27
"What was unknown was whether or not that's just a side relationship that has nothing to do with the clinical symptoms of dementia, or if sleep disruption is part of why these toxic chemicals in the brain are causing memory loss. This is not to say that amyloid and other pathologies can't impact memory independent of sleep. But it does suggest that part of the way it impacts memory is through sleep-dependent memory."
As mentioned above, recent research shows that babies have improved recall after napping, suggesting sleep plays an important role in memory solidification.28 Other research demonstrates that amyloid plaques, common in Alzheimer's disease, build up more quickly in sleep-deprived lab animals. Other important research discovered that sleep clears toxins from your brain during deep sleep, which is really important for the prevention of Alzheimer's.29
Light Pollution and EMF Decrease Sleep Quality and Quantity
If you've ever gone camping, you've likely noticed a change in your sleep quality. Chances are you slept deeper and arose more rested. Aside from factors such as grounding to the earth and spending time in fresh air and nature, the most influential factor resulting in better sleep is the drastic reduction in exposure to artificial lights and electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
Exposure to light at night interrupts your circadian clock and melatonin level, both of which play a role in how deeply you sleep and how well-rested you feel the next day. LEDs and fluorescent lights are particularly troublesome because the blue light peaks are not balanced by red and near-infrared.30 Incandescent lights are safer, as they emit red and near-infrared wavelengths and very few blue wavelengths.
Even very dim light during sleep (such as that from a nightlight or alarm clock) can have a detrimental effect on your sleep quality and quantity, and can negatively affect your cognition the next day.31 Ideally, avoid electronic screens and predominantly blue light such as LEDs in the evening. Alternatively, use blue-blocking glasses. I've included a recommendation below for an inexpensive pair that work really well.
Similarly, EMFs emitted from wiring, electronic devices and Wi-Fi, for example, impair your melatonin secretion and harm your mitochondria by producing oxidative damage. EMF exposure has also been linked to neuronal changes that affect memory and the ability to learn.32 Importantly, research33,34,35,36 by Martin Pall, Ph.D., suggests microwave radiation from wireless technology may be a causative factor in Alzheimer's, depression, anxiety and more. It can also seriously hamper your sleep.
As early as nearly 20 years ago it had been well-documented in over 15 studies37 that exposure to microwave radiation from cellphones, Wi-Fi, ELF and magnetic fields from improper wiring in your bedroom can disrupt melatonin production and deep sleep. There are far more studies confirming this now that can easily be documented by doing a pub med search.
EMF Remediation May Improve Your Sleep
Eliminating EMF exposure can be tricky, as most homes are flooded with electric currents and microwave radiation. Still, you can reduce it to some degree, depending on how far you're willing to go. Here are some suggestions that may improve your sleep quality:
No comments:
Post a Comment