Sleep more to lose weight

Annals of Internal Medicine, 153: 475-476, 2010

Insufficient Sleep Undermines Dietary Efforts to Reduce Adiposity
Arlet V. Nedeltcheva, M.D., Jennifer M. Kilkus, M.S., Jacqueline Imperial, R.N.
Dale A. Schoeller, PhD, And Plamen D. Peney, M.D. PhD

-From The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, and University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin.

Key Points from Kevin G. Parker, D.C. from a few studies…

1.  Poor sleep habits can contribute to obesity.

2.  Sleep loss increases the release of a hormone called Ghrelin, which will increase appetite and slows down a persons metabolism.

3.  The weight loss that was noticed in this study was from lean body mass(good stuff) not from adipose fat (bad stuff).

4. Many other medical studies (not this one) have shown lack of  insufficient sleep causing more important problems than trying to decrease some body fat. Such as; cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, chronic pain, glucose intolerance, lowered immune system,  nervous system problems, and shortened lifespan.

5. 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night is important for overall health.

6.  Yes, we can make up excuses why we can’t get a better nights sleep. So if you can’t do it for yourself, try and do it for your family. Get healthier for them for emotional and financial reasons for the long haul. If you can’t, they will be taking care of you at some point. The healthier you are, the easier it will be for them.

7. Also, have a dark room when you sleep.

Link:   Room light before bedtime may impact sleep quality, blood pressure and diabetes risk.

8.   Points not from this particular study but a different study:   Yes, new moms are sleep deprived, but they actually get a little more shut-eye than the average American, logging 7.2 hours a night, according to a new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Here’s the problem:  They aren’t getting the quality of sleep they need.

-”New mothers aren’t really sleep-deprived,” says Hawley Montgomery-Downs, a psychologist and coordinator of the Behavioral Neuroscience Program at West Virginia University.

– “They’re sleep-fragmented.”

Normal patterns of sleep follow definitive cycles, each lasting 90 minutes to 2 hours. Women  who must get up for feedings may not log enough cycles to feel refreshed.

Also, those with sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and frequent bathroom trips also experience fragmented sleep.

When is comes to sleep, quality beats quantity.

9.  Tips for all experiencing fragmented sleep.

Take Naps– If you’re severely sleep quality deprived you can benefit from a 90 min nap. (long enough to rack up another sleep cycle)
But a 20 min power nap temporarily restores brain power. Set aside 30 min, since it may take 10 min to fall sleep.

Cut back on Caffeine– Don’t drunj ciffee after 2 P.m. If you’re truly dependent on an afternoon pick me up, try green tea after lunch instead.

Avoid Alcohol amounts at bedtime– Yes, alcohol makes you sleepy. It is a depresant. It also keeps you out of the deep stages of sleep, causes dehydration, and wakes you in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Stop after 1 glass of wine with dinner.

Okay on with the initial Study….

Conclusion from the Study: The amount of human sleep contributes to the maintenance of fat-free body mass at times of decreased energy intake. Lack of sufficient sleep may compromise the efficacy of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction.

Abstract
Background: Sleep loss can modify energy intake and expenditure.
Objective: To determine whether sleep restriction attenuates the effect of a reduced-calorie diet on excess adiposity.
Design: Randomized, 2-period, 2-condition crossover study.
Setting: University clinical research center and sleep laboratory.
Patients: 10 overweight nonsmoking adults (3 women and 7 men) with a mean age of 41 years (SD, 5) and a mean body mass index of 27.4 kg/m2 (SD, 2.0).
Intervention: 14 days of moderate caloric restriction with 8.5 or 5.5 hours of nighttime sleep opportunity.
Measurements: The primary measure was loss of fat and fat-free body mass. Secondary measures were changes in substrate utilization, energy expenditure, hunger, and 24-hour metabolic hormone concentrations.
Results: Sleep curtailment decreased the proportion of weight lost as fat by 55% (1.4 vs. 0.6 kg with 8.5 vs. 5.5 hours of sleep opportunity, respectively; P = 0.043) and increased the loss of fat-free body mass by 60% (1.5 vs. 2.4 kg; P = 0.002). This was accompanied by markers of enhanced neuroendocrine adaptation to caloric restriction, increased hunger, and a shift in relative substrate utilization toward oxidation of less fat.
Limitation: The nature of the study limited its duration and sample size.
Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of Health.

Article and Author Information
Acknowledgment: This study involved more than 250 inpatient days in the University of Chicago Sleep Research Laboratory, which is directed by Eve Van Cauter. The authors thank Theodore Karrison for advice on the selection of an appropriate approach for statistical analysis; Eve Van Cauter for advice during the planning of this study; and the staff of the University of Chicago Clinical Resource Center, Sleep Research Laboratory, Endocrinology Clinic, and Diabetes Research and Training Center for their skilled technical assistance.