Our Sleep Affects the Hormones
This is where the whole hormone scene comes into play Our sleep affects the hormones that govern metabolism and fat accumulation and use If we sleep well our hormones will work well but if we dont sleep enough or if we sleep poorly our hormones get out of sync and cant work as theyre supposed to
There are several key hormones dealing with weight that are affected by sleep or sleeplessness This outline will over simplify their effects but its important to remember that our bodies are an integrated whole and we cant disrupt one part of our lives without upsetting other areas Thus sleep is an important ingredient in being healthy just as exercise and eating wholesome food are
Appetite Suppressing Hormone
Leptin only discovered in 1994 produced in fat cells is an appetite suppressing hormone If it is working properly it will tell your brain among other things when youre hungry and when to begin fat storage Thus it has important metabolism and weight functions It also helps regulate reproduction In studies people who were deprived of sleep had a dip in leptin levels which corresponded to being deprived of 1000 calories per day So you might think give me some leptin and my hunger will be suppressed But its more complicated than that leptin resistance can develop If this happens you will crave sugar or other carbs lose energy and put on weight around your waist
Weve all heard of insulin and its connection to diabetes This hormone is made by the pancreas and it decides whether cells will use blood sugar for immediate needs or store it as fat for later use If we dont get enough sleep insulin production is disrupted and our bodies dont metabolize carbohydrates well which leads to insulin resistance Cells wont accept blood sugar so blood sugar levels rise The pancreas puts out more insulin but eventually it cant keep up and diabetes develops Insulin resistance has been noted in sleep deprived subjects of studies in just a week
An appetite stimulating hormone made in the stomach and upper intestine is ghrelin It can cause eating binges and cravings for fattening foods like ice cream candy and salty snacks like pretzels or chips It also suppresses fat utilization Again too little sleep can cause ghrelin production to spike This hormone works in conjunction with growth hormone insulin and leptin
Cortisol the Stress Hormone
It is released by the brain at various times during the day and night It is part of the fight or flight response that kept our early ancestors alive If we are sleep deprived cortisol release will make us feel hungry It will raise insulin levels the effects of which were noted above It also causes a lot of other problems like fluid retention muscle weakness memory loss and high blood pressure If we are sleeping correctly cortisol should peak in the early morning allowing us to start the day energized But many of us have levels that are too high throughout the day and night and this causes us to sleep fitfully or wake often
Growth Hormone
It is produced in the pituitary gland in the brain and it builds tissue repairs damage utilizes fat undoes some of the negative effects of cortisol and causes metabolism to increase This hormone is secreted in small amounts at various times of the day but the largest amount is released during deep sleep If we dont get enough deep sleep and therefore enough growth hormone we will develop changes that are associated with aging
So it can be seen that sleep is very important to our health in regulating hormones that affect our weight
To Do
To counter the above mentioned negative effects we need to incorporate some lifestyle changes We need to get enough sleep Also get enough exercise and eat in a healthy way This means
Try new foods or a new way of eating A cookbook I found particularly helpful because it talked about different types of food and encouraged creativity in cookingeating was The Yeast Connection Cookbook Although it was written with a particular problem in mind I found it generally useful
Perhaps try something like a raw diet If not full time try it for snacks or for one meal per day Groups that advocate unusual diets like this can give you a lot of information and they also provide forums for support and education2
Avoid refined carbs like pasta bread sweets and alcohol
Avoid saturated fats like those in meat
Avoid trans fats like those in margarine fried foods and snack foods
Avoid polyunsaturated fats like those in corn oil soy sunflower oil safflower oil
Increase foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids like salmon mackerel trout cod liver oil
Increase leafy green vegetables A good way to do this is to make green smoothies sweetened with fruit Vary the greens you use We use spinach mixed salad greens romaine lettuce or whatever looks freshest in the grocery store when we shop We usually sweeten with apple and pear although weve tried banana and mango and several other combinations Wash the greens cut up the fruit and mix in a good strong blender At first my daughters ate only a spoonful but they gradually increased their intake so that they now eat a cupful at a time One daughter suffers from asthma and she remarked one day that since eating green smoothies she uses her puffers a lot less
Eat nuts especially walnuts and seeds especially flax seeds
Increase fruit and vegetables with bright colours
Increase beans
Avoid artificial sugars flavours and fats
Try taking magnesium as a supplement as most of us in North America are magnesium deficient Ive seen 400 mg as a suggested dose before bed with an acid rich juice like tomato juice for a sedating effect You might want a calcium supplement too You can ask your doctor about these
Dont eat after 6 pm Someone I know tried this simple idea and found that she no longer had to get up to the bathroom in the night Getting up had been disrupting her sleep so that she couldnt get back to sleep again and she was relieved to find such a simple solution to her problem
Use these dietary suggestions in conjunction with the ideas mentioned in previous lessons to get as good a nights sleep as possible Youll notice a change for the better in your sleep very soon
Can weight loss improve sleep apnea
We always encourage our patients to lose weight while they are on CPAP therapy to treat their sleep apnea For patients with sleep apnea weight loss sometimes but not always results in a complete resolution of the disorder However even though a patients sleep apnea probably wont go away entirely it can lead to lower pressure settings which can make CPAP therapy much more tolerable
On the other side of the coin increased weight gain can also lead to needing higher pressure settings which can make CPAP therapy more difficult to tolerate The more tissues found in the throat impeding airflow the higher the pressure needed to keep these tissues from collapsing into the airway High pressure settings is often one of the most cited reasons patients abandon CPAP therapy altogether which can be detrimental to their overall healthBoth sleep apnea and obesity share many common health risks including high blood pressure coronary heart disease stroke diabetes heart attack heart failure and decreased quality of life Losing weight not only improves tolerable pressure of a CPAP device but also reduces patient risk for severe health conditions
Patients with untreated sleep apnea often find themselves in a vicious cycle
Poor sleep caused by sleep apnea leads to decreased energy during the day which in turn leads to a more sedentary lifestyle devoid of healthy activities and exercise
Decreased quality of sleep also contributes to unhealthy food cravings for sugary foods and foods high in carbohydrates
Untreated OSA decreases metabolism making weight loss more difficult
Patients who find themselves using CPAP therapy to treat sleep apnea get better quality sleep at night This in turn leads to higher energy levels during the day making exercise to reduce their weight much easier to perform Patients who continue to maintain healthy lifestyle choices can end up with less apnea events each night leading to lower pressure settings on their CPAP or even become candidates for dental appliances used in treating sleep apnea patients with mild to moderate symptoms
If you believe that you may have sleep apnea and are ready to get proactive about it Contact The Alaska Sleep Clinic by clicking the link below and a sleep educator will contact you for a free 10 minute phone consultation to discuss your symptoms and determine if a sleep study is right for you
