Sleep deprivation and our waistlines

Sleep deprivation has a direct impact on our waistlines. One in three women who experience sleep problems almost every night are obese, compared with one in five women who have trouble sleeping just a few nights a month. How many of us have said “I’ll be able to stay awake a little bit longer if I just eat these pretzels (or another snack food)”?

Sleep deprivation alters levels of many hormones, including serotonin and leptin. This makes you feel hungrier during the day, strengthening cravings for starchy carbohydrates and sweets.

This effect can begin even during childhood: a study completed in Japan determined that 6 and 7 year olds who slept less were more likely to become obese than their peers who went to bed earlier and slept longer. Children sho slept fewer than 8 hours were nearly three times as likely to become obese as children who got 10 or more hours.