In America's fast-paced society, sleep is sometimes viewed as a lazy luxury; however, recent research shows that sleep is more than a passive time sink. Accumulating research indicates that long-term sleep loss is associated with the development of obesity and diabetes. Moreover, several experimental sleep loss studies show that total and partial sleep deprivation may modulate hormone secretions that impact glucose utilization and insulin sensitivity, appetite regulation, and resting energy expenditure. In addition to insulin, circulating leptin, ghrelin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and cortisol levels are influenced by sleep patterns. Collectively, hormone manipulations observed with sleep loss may predispose individuals to obesity and type 2 diabetes
The amount of time you sleep may affect your weight in strange ways
Jean Gutierrez, PhD, RD, is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Exercise Science at The George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Darryn S. Willoughby, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation of Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
Correspondence: Jean Gutierrez, PhD, RD, Department of Exercise Science at The George Washington University, 817 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20052-0065 (jl_guti@gwu.edu).
