Sleep loss may equal weight gain

Sleep loss may equal weight gain

Tue Dec 7, 6:27 AM ET

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Too little sleep can make you fat.



That's the conclusion of some groundbreaking research, including two new
studies released Monday.


Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger
hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The
effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.


It could explain why so many Americans who are chronically sleep-deprived
also are overweight. And it could be part of the reason sleepy college
students, new parents and shift workers pack on pounds.


Researchers say getting enough shut-eye might be a critical component of
weight control. And nutritionists one day might routinely advise dieters to
"sleep it off" as well as to cut calories and increase exercise.


"We know the obesity epidemic is due to overeating - too big portions, too
much rich food and too little activity - but why do we crave too much of
these rich foods?" says Eve Van Cauter, a University of Chicago sleep
researcher who is the lead investigator on one of the new studies. Maybe,
she says, it's because "we are sleep-deprived and unable to curb our
appetites."


Sleep does indeed appear to be an important piece of the weight-control
puzzle, says Stanford University sleep researcher Emmanuel Mignot, who also
is releasing new research.


If that's true, it might be part of the solution to the nation's obesity
problem. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese, which
increases their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other
diseases.


This percentage takes on a special significance when balanced against the
fact that an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended
eight hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. In
fact, the average adult gets 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5 hours
on weekends, for a daily average of seven hours.


Van Cauter has spent 25 years doing research on the hormones that are
affected by sleep. She says sleep deprivation activates a small part of the
hypothalamus, the region of the brain that also is involved in appetite
regulation. She is especially intrigued by, and has done several studies on,
two critical hormones involved in regulating food intake: ghrelin and
leptin.


They influence eating in different ways. Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulating
hormone released mostly by the stomach. When ghrelin levels are up, people
feel hungry, Van Cauter says. On the other hand, leptin, considered a
satiety or fullness hormone, is released by the fat cells and tells the
brain about the current energy balance of the body.


When leptin levels are high, that sends a message to the brain that the body
has enough food, and the person feels full, she says. Low levels indicate
starvation and increase appetite.


The hormones "have been called the yin and yang of hunger," Van Cauter says.
"One is the accelerator for eating (ghrelin), and the other is the brake
(leptin)."


Hungry for sleep - and food


Van Cauter, who directs the Research Laboratory on Sleep, Chronobiology and
Neuroendocrinology at the University of Chicago School of Medicine, examined
the effect of sleep deprivation on these two hormones for her latest study,
published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine. She had 12 healthy,
normal-weight men, average age 22, come into a hospital laboratory to sleep,
and eat dinner and breakfast.


On one occasion, they were limited to four hours in bed for each of two
consecutive nights. At another time, they were allowed up to 10 hours in bed
for two nights. Their blood was drawn at regular intervals, and they were
asked about their hunger. Findings:


.. Leptin levels were 18% lower and ghrelin levels were 28% higher after they
slept four hours.


.. The sleep-deprived men who had the biggest hormonal changes also said they
felt the most hungry and craved carbohydrate-rich foods, including cakes,
candy, ice cream, pasta and bread. Those who had the smallest changes
reported being the least hungry.

Matt Tierney, 23, who is studying biology at DePaul University in Chicago,
participated in the study. He says that after getting only four hours of
sleep for two straight nights, he was so hungry he could have "eaten my
pillow." He had no problems with hunger after the longer nights of sleep.

Link found to body mass index

Other research released Monday had similar findings. Scientists at the
University of Wisconsin and Stanford University tracked 1,024 people ages 30
to 60. Participants from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study took sleep tests
and blood tests every four years and reported their sleep habits.

Findings:

.. People who routinely slept five hours a night had a 14.9% higher level of
ghrelin and a 15.5% lower level of leptin than those who slept eight hours.

.. Those who regularly slept less than 7.7 hours had a slightly higher body
mass index (BMI).

"It's amazing how much people's sleep is reflected in the hormones in their
blood," says Mignot, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at
Stanford. His work is reported in today's online issue of the Public Library
of Science Medicine.

Several epidemiological studies show the same connection, including one out
last month from Columbia University in New York that used government data on
6,115 people to compare sleep patterns and obesity.

Researchers found that people who sleep two to four hours a night are 73%
more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Those who
get five or more hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be obese than
normal sleepers. Those who sleep six hours are 23% more likely to be obese.

And, the researchers reported, those who get 10 or more hours are 11% less
likely to be obese.

In a way, the latest findings seem counterintuitive "because most people
think that sleeping too much contributes to making people fat, but we found
the opposite is true," Mignot says.

He believes that sleep-deprived people eat more because they're hungrier,
they're awake longer and may be tempted by foods everywhere they go. They
often consume far more calories than they burn in the extra hours they're
awake.

People are usually pretty sedentary in that extra waking time -- watching
TV, reading, responding to e-mail, Van Cauter says. They may burn an extra
50 calories or so in several hours, but the changes in hormones prompt them
to eat far more than 50 calories.

"We believe the changes in appetite regulation are way in excess of the
calories needed for the extra hours of wakefulness. We are testing this
rigorously in the laboratory now," she says.

Sleep may ease holiday stress

Obesity experts are intrigued by these findings. "We've known that people
use food as a pick-me-up when they are tired, but now it appears they are
hungrier than we realized, and there is a hormonal basis for their eating,"
says Thomas Wadden, director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at
the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

"The one thing that is clear is that during the holidays people should sleep
as much as they can and not get too stressed out. That could prevent some of
the holiday weight gain."

Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says it looks as if "we should
tell overweight patients to get more sleep. This is advice that's easier to
follow than eat less and exercise more. "

"It means watching a little less TV at night and getting to bed earlier,"
Klein says. "Who on earth would argue about getting more sleep?"

Getting enough sleep and controlling stress are subtle things that could
have an impact on weight, agrees Louis Aronne, president of the North
American Association for the Study of Obesity and director of the
Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Other studies are underway. Van Cauter is looking at how sleep loss affects
people on low-calorie diets; how shift workers' sleep habits affect their
weight; and how sleep affects the hunger levels of the morbidly obese. She's
also investigating sleep deprivation in women and older people.

Mignot says researchers now must to do an intervention study in which
sleep-deprived people increase their sleep time to see if it helps them lose
weight.

"More and more we're realizing that healthy eating, healthy sleeping and
regular exercise are three important things that everyone should do," he
says.

Van Cauter believes that some people might be extra-sensitive to sleep
deprivation, which "makes it very hard" for them to control their appetites.

"Our body is not wired for sleep deprivation," she says. "The human animal
is the only one that does this."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...gain&printer=1


--
Will~

196.2 / 131.8 / 137 lbs
89 / 59.8 / 62.1 Kg

Personal goal 125 lbs / 56.7 Kg

And there was me thinking that I atetoo much!
Hazell (who hasn't has an unbroken nights sleep in 5 years)

Willow wrote in message
. com...
Sleep loss may equal weight gain

Tue Dec 7, 6:27 AM ET

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Too little sleep can make you fat.



That's the conclusion of some groundbreaking research, including two new
studies released Monday.


Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger
hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The
effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.


It could explain why so many Americans who are chronically sleep-deprived
also are overweight. And it could be part of the reason sleepy college
students, new parents and shift workers pack on pounds.


Researchers say getting enough shut-eye might be a critical component of
weight control. And nutritionists one day might routinely advise dieters
to
"sleep it off" as well as to cut calories and increase exercise.


"We know the obesity epidemic is due to overeating - too big portions, too
much rich food and too little activity - but why do we crave too much of
these rich foods?" says Eve Van Cauter, a University of Chicago sleep
researcher who is the lead investigator on one of the new studies. Maybe,
she says, it's because "we are sleep-deprived and unable to curb our
appetites."


Sleep does indeed appear to be an important piece of the weight-control
puzzle, says Stanford University sleep researcher Emmanuel Mignot, who
also
is releasing new research.


If that's true, it might be part of the solution to the nation's obesity
problem. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese, which
increases their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other
diseases.


This percentage takes on a special significance when balanced against the
fact that an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended
eight hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
In
fact, the average adult gets 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5
hours
on weekends, for a daily average of seven hours.


Van Cauter has spent 25 years doing research on the hormones that are
affected by sleep. She says sleep deprivation activates a small part of
the
hypothalamus, the region of the brain that also is involved in appetite
regulation. She is especially intrigued by, and has done several studies
on,
two critical hormones involved in regulating food intake: ghrelin and
leptin.


They influence eating in different ways. Ghrelin is an
appetite-stimulating
hormone released mostly by the stomach. When ghrelin levels are up, people
feel hungry, Van Cauter says. On the other hand, leptin, considered a
satiety or fullness hormone, is released by the fat cells and tells the
brain about the current energy balance of the body.


When leptin levels are high, that sends a message to the brain that the
body
has enough food, and the person feels full, she says. Low levels indicate
starvation and increase appetite.


The hormones "have been called the yin and yang of hunger," Van Cauter
says.
"One is the accelerator for eating (ghrelin), and the other is the brake
(leptin)."


Hungry for sleep - and food


Van Cauter, who directs the Research Laboratory on Sleep, Chronobiology
and
Neuroendocrinology at the University of Chicago School of Medicine,
examined
the effect of sleep deprivation on these two hormones for her latest
study,
published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine. She had 12 healthy,
normal-weight men, average age 22, come into a hospital laboratory to
sleep,
and eat dinner and breakfast.


On one occasion, they were limited to four hours in bed for each of two
consecutive nights. At another time, they were allowed up to 10 hours in
bed
for two nights. Their blood was drawn at regular intervals, and they were
asked about their hunger. Findings:


. Leptin levels were 18% lower and ghrelin levels were 28% higher after
they
slept four hours.


. The sleep-deprived men who had the biggest hormonal changes also said
they
felt the most hungry and craved carbohydrate-rich foods, including cakes,
candy, ice cream, pasta and bread. Those who had the smallest changes
reported being the least hungry.

Matt Tierney, 23, who is studying biology at DePaul University in Chicago,
participated in the study. He says that after getting only four hours of
sleep for two straight nights, he was so hungry he could have "eaten my
pillow." He had no problems with hunger after the longer nights of sleep.

Link found to body mass index

Other research released Monday had similar findings. Scientists at the
University of Wisconsin and Stanford University tracked 1,024 people ages
30
to 60. Participants from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study took sleep tests
and blood tests every four years and reported their sleep habits.

Findings:

. People who routinely slept five hours a night had a 14.9% higher level
of
ghrelin and a 15.5% lower level of leptin than those who slept eight
hours.

. Those who regularly slept less than 7.7 hours had a slightly higher body
mass index (BMI).

"It's amazing how much people's sleep is reflected in the hormones in
their
blood," says Mignot, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at
Stanford. His work is reported in today's online issue of the Public
Library
of Science Medicine.

Several epidemiological studies show the same connection, including one
out
last month from Columbia University in New York that used government data
on
6,115 people to compare sleep patterns and obesity.

Researchers found that people who sleep two to four hours a night are 73%
more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Those who
get five or more hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be obese
than
normal sleepers. Those who sleep six hours are 23% more likely to be
obese.

And, the researchers reported, those who get 10 or more hours are 11% less
likely to be obese.

In a way, the latest findings seem counterintuitive "because most people
think that sleeping too much contributes to making people fat, but we
found
the opposite is true," Mignot says.

He believes that sleep-deprived people eat more because they're hungrier,
they're awake longer and may be tempted by foods everywhere they go. They
often consume far more calories than they burn in the extra hours they're
awake.

People are usually pretty sedentary in that extra waking time -- watching
TV, reading, responding to e-mail, Van Cauter says. They may burn an extra
50 calories or so in several hours, but the changes in hormones prompt
them
to eat far more than 50 calories.

"We believe the changes in appetite regulation are way in excess of the
calories needed for the extra hours of wakefulness. We are testing this
rigorously in the laboratory now," she says.

Sleep may ease holiday stress

Obesity experts are intrigued by these findings. "We've known that people
use food as a pick-me-up when they are tired, but now it appears they are
hungrier than we realized, and there is a hormonal basis for their
eating,"
says Thomas Wadden, director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at
the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

"The one thing that is clear is that during the holidays people should
sleep
as much as they can and not get too stressed out. That could prevent some
of
the holiday weight gain."

Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says it looks as if "we should
tell overweight patients to get more sleep. This is advice that's easier
to
follow than eat less and exercise more. "

"It means watching a little less TV at night and getting to bed earlier,"
Klein says. "Who on earth would argue about getting more sleep?"

Getting enough sleep and controlling stress are subtle things that could
have an impact on weight, agrees Louis Aronne, president of the North
American Association for the Study of Obesity and director of the
Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Other studies are underway. Van Cauter is looking at how sleep loss
affects
people on low-calorie diets; how shift workers' sleep habits affect their
weight; and how sleep affects the hunger levels of the morbidly obese.
She's
also investigating sleep deprivation in women and older people.

Mignot says researchers now must to do an intervention study in which
sleep-deprived people increase their sleep time to see if it helps them
lose
weight.

"More and more we're realizing that healthy eating, healthy sleeping and
regular exercise are three important things that everyone should do," he
says.

Van Cauter believes that some people might be extra-sensitive to sleep
deprivation, which "makes it very hard" for them to control their
appetites.

"Our body is not wired for sleep deprivation," she says. "The human animal
is the only one that does this."


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...plossmayequalw
eightgain&printer=1


--
Will~

196.2 / 131.8 / 137 lbs
89 / 59.8 / 62.1 Kg

Personal goal 125 lbs / 56.7 Kg

And there was me thinking that I atetoo much!
Hazell (who hasn't has an unbroken nights sleep in 5 years)

Willow wrote in message
. com...
Sleep loss may equal weight gain

Tue Dec 7, 6:27 AM ET

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Too little sleep can make you fat.



That's the conclusion of some groundbreaking research, including two new
studies released Monday.


Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger
hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The
effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.


It could explain why so many Americans who are chronically sleep-deprived
also are overweight. And it could be part of the reason sleepy college
students, new parents and shift workers pack on pounds.


Researchers say getting enough shut-eye might be a critical component of
weight control. And nutritionists one day might routinely advise dieters
to
"sleep it off" as well as to cut calories and increase exercise.


"We know the obesity epidemic is due to overeating - too big portions, too
much rich food and too little activity - but why do we crave too much of
these rich foods?" says Eve Van Cauter, a University of Chicago sleep
researcher who is the lead investigator on one of the new studies. Maybe,
she says, it's because "we are sleep-deprived and unable to curb our
appetites."


Sleep does indeed appear to be an important piece of the weight-control
puzzle, says Stanford University sleep researcher Emmanuel Mignot, who
also
is releasing new research.


If that's true, it might be part of the solution to the nation's obesity
problem. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese, which
increases their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other
diseases.


This percentage takes on a special significance when balanced against the
fact that an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended
eight hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
In
fact, the average adult gets 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5
hours
on weekends, for a daily average of seven hours.


Van Cauter has spent 25 years doing research on the hormones that are
affected by sleep. She says sleep deprivation activates a small part of
the
hypothalamus, the region of the brain that also is involved in appetite
regulation. She is especially intrigued by, and has done several studies
on,
two critical hormones involved in regulating food intake: ghrelin and
leptin.


They influence eating in different ways. Ghrelin is an
appetite-stimulating
hormone released mostly by the stomach. When ghrelin levels are up, people
feel hungry, Van Cauter says. On the other hand, leptin, considered a
satiety or fullness hormone, is released by the fat cells and tells the
brain about the current energy balance of the body.


When leptin levels are high, that sends a message to the brain that the
body
has enough food, and the person feels full, she says. Low levels indicate
starvation and increase appetite.


The hormones "have been called the yin and yang of hunger," Van Cauter
says.
"One is the accelerator for eating (ghrelin), and the other is the brake
(leptin)."


Hungry for sleep - and food


Van Cauter, who directs the Research Laboratory on Sleep, Chronobiology
and
Neuroendocrinology at the University of Chicago School of Medicine,
examined
the effect of sleep deprivation on these two hormones for her latest
study,
published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine. She had 12 healthy,
normal-weight men, average age 22, come into a hospital laboratory to
sleep,
and eat dinner and breakfast.


On one occasion, they were limited to four hours in bed for each of two
consecutive nights. At another time, they were allowed up to 10 hours in
bed
for two nights. Their blood was drawn at regular intervals, and they were
asked about their hunger. Findings:


. Leptin levels were 18% lower and ghrelin levels were 28% higher after
they
slept four hours.


. The sleep-deprived men who had the biggest hormonal changes also said
they
felt the most hungry and craved carbohydrate-rich foods, including cakes,
candy, ice cream, pasta and bread. Those who had the smallest changes
reported being the least hungry.

Matt Tierney, 23, who is studying biology at DePaul University in Chicago,
participated in the study. He says that after getting only four hours of
sleep for two straight nights, he was so hungry he could have "eaten my
pillow." He had no problems with hunger after the longer nights of sleep.

Link found to body mass index

Other research released Monday had similar findings. Scientists at the
University of Wisconsin and Stanford University tracked 1,024 people ages
30
to 60. Participants from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study took sleep tests
and blood tests every four years and reported their sleep habits.

Findings:

. People who routinely slept five hours a night had a 14.9% higher level
of
ghrelin and a 15.5% lower level of leptin than those who slept eight
hours.

. Those who regularly slept less than 7.7 hours had a slightly higher body
mass index (BMI).

"It's amazing how much people's sleep is reflected in the hormones in
their
blood," says Mignot, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at
Stanford. His work is reported in today's online issue of the Public
Library
of Science Medicine.

Several epidemiological studies show the same connection, including one
out
last month from Columbia University in New York that used government data
on
6,115 people to compare sleep patterns and obesity.

Researchers found that people who sleep two to four hours a night are 73%
more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Those who
get five or more hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be obese
than
normal sleepers. Those who sleep six hours are 23% more likely to be
obese.

And, the researchers reported, those who get 10 or more hours are 11% less
likely to be obese.

In a way, the latest findings seem counterintuitive "because most people
think that sleeping too much contributes to making people fat, but we
found
the opposite is true," Mignot says.

He believes that sleep-deprived people eat more because they're hungrier,
they're awake longer and may be tempted by foods everywhere they go. They
often consume far more calories than they burn in the extra hours they're
awake.

People are usually pretty sedentary in that extra waking time -- watching
TV, reading, responding to e-mail, Van Cauter says. They may burn an extra
50 calories or so in several hours, but the changes in hormones prompt
them
to eat far more than 50 calories.

"We believe the changes in appetite regulation are way in excess of the
calories needed for the extra hours of wakefulness. We are testing this
rigorously in the laboratory now," she says.

Sleep may ease holiday stress

Obesity experts are intrigued by these findings. "We've known that people
use food as a pick-me-up when they are tired, but now it appears they are
hungrier than we realized, and there is a hormonal basis for their
eating,"
says Thomas Wadden, director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at
the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

"The one thing that is clear is that during the holidays people should
sleep
as much as they can and not get too stressed out. That could prevent some
of
the holiday weight gain."

Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says it looks as if "we should
tell overweight patients to get more sleep. This is advice that's easier
to
follow than eat less and exercise more. "

"It means watching a little less TV at night and getting to bed earlier,"
Klein says. "Who on earth would argue about getting more sleep?"

Getting enough sleep and controlling stress are subtle things that could
have an impact on weight, agrees Louis Aronne, president of the North
American Association for the Study of Obesity and director of the
Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Other studies are underway. Van Cauter is looking at how sleep loss
affects
people on low-calorie diets; how shift workers' sleep habits affect their
weight; and how sleep affects the hunger levels of the morbidly obese.
She's
also investigating sleep deprivation in women and older people.

Mignot says researchers now must to do an intervention study in which
sleep-deprived people increase their sleep time to see if it helps them
lose
weight.

"More and more we're realizing that healthy eating, healthy sleeping and
regular exercise are three important things that everyone should do," he
says.

Van Cauter believes that some people might be extra-sensitive to sleep
deprivation, which "makes it very hard" for them to control their
appetites.

"Our body is not wired for sleep deprivation," she says. "The human animal
is the only one that does this."


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...plossmayequalw
eightgain&printer=1


--
Will~

196.2 / 131.8 / 137 lbs
89 / 59.8 / 62.1 Kg

Personal goal 125 lbs / 56.7 Kg

Hazell wrote:

And there was me thinking that I atetoo much!
Hazell (who hasn't has an unbroken nights sleep in 5 years)

To me an unbroken night's sleep is a whole four hours without waking up.
Even as a kid I never slept right through. I was a skinny kid, too.
In fact I was skinny until I was 25. Ha! Being a habitual insomniac
hasn't stopped me shedding 46 lbs of excess weight, either. Nor do I
intend to let it stop me shedding the next 24!
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Hazell wrote:

And there was me thinking that I atetoo much!
Hazell (who hasn't has an unbroken nights sleep in 5 years)

To me an unbroken night's sleep is a whole four hours without waking up.
Even as a kid I never slept right through. I was a skinny kid, too.
In fact I was skinny until I was 25. Ha! Being a habitual insomniac
hasn't stopped me shedding 46 lbs of excess weight, either. Nor do I
intend to let it stop me shedding the next 24!
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Well.. there's never an answers that fits everyone.. ;op

--
Will~

196.2 / 131.8 / 137 lbs
89 / 59.8 / 62.1 Kg

Personal goal 125 lbs / 56.7 Kg
"Hazell" wrote in message
...
And there was me thinking that I atetoo much!
Hazell (who hasn't has an unbroken nights sleep in 5 years)

Willow wrote in message
. com...
Sleep loss may equal weight gain

Tue Dec 7, 6:27 AM ET

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Too little sleep can make you fat.



That's the conclusion of some groundbreaking research, including two new
studies released Monday.


Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a
hunger
hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The
effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.


It could explain why so many Americans who are chronically
sleep-deprived
also are overweight. And it could be part of the reason sleepy college
students, new parents and shift workers pack on pounds.


Researchers say getting enough shut-eye might be a critical component of
weight control. And nutritionists one day might routinely advise dieters
to
"sleep it off" as well as to cut calories and increase exercise.


"We know the obesity epidemic is due to overeating - too big portions,
too
much rich food and too little activity - but why do we crave too much of
these rich foods?" says Eve Van Cauter, a University of Chicago sleep
researcher who is the lead investigator on one of the new studies.
Maybe,
she says, it's because "we are sleep-deprived and unable to curb our
appetites."


Sleep does indeed appear to be an important piece of the weight-control
puzzle, says Stanford University sleep researcher Emmanuel Mignot, who
also
is releasing new research.


If that's true, it might be part of the solution to the nation's obesity
problem. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese, which
increases their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other
diseases.


This percentage takes on a special significance when balanced against
the
fact that an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended
eight hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep
Foundation.
In
fact, the average adult gets 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5
hours
on weekends, for a daily average of seven hours.


Van Cauter has spent 25 years doing research on the hormones that are
affected by sleep. She says sleep deprivation activates a small part of
the
hypothalamus, the region of the brain that also is involved in appetite
regulation. She is especially intrigued by, and has done several studies
on,
two critical hormones involved in regulating food intake: ghrelin and
leptin.


They influence eating in different ways. Ghrelin is an
appetite-stimulating
hormone released mostly by the stomach. When ghrelin levels are up,
people
feel hungry, Van Cauter says. On the other hand, leptin, considered a
satiety or fullness hormone, is released by the fat cells and tells the
brain about the current energy balance of the body.


When leptin levels are high, that sends a message to the brain that the
body
has enough food, and the person feels full, she says. Low levels
indicate
starvation and increase appetite.


The hormones "have been called the yin and yang of hunger," Van Cauter
says.
"One is the accelerator for eating (ghrelin), and the other is the brake
(leptin)."


Hungry for sleep - and food


Van Cauter, who directs the Research Laboratory on Sleep, Chronobiology
and
Neuroendocrinology at the University of Chicago School of Medicine,
examined
the effect of sleep deprivation on these two hormones for her latest
study,
published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine. She had 12 healthy,
normal-weight men, average age 22, come into a hospital laboratory to
sleep,
and eat dinner and breakfast.


On one occasion, they were limited to four hours in bed for each of two
consecutive nights. At another time, they were allowed up to 10 hours in
bed
for two nights. Their blood was drawn at regular intervals, and they
were
asked about their hunger. Findings:


. Leptin levels were 18% lower and ghrelin levels were 28% higher after
they
slept four hours.


. The sleep-deprived men who had the biggest hormonal changes also said
they
felt the most hungry and craved carbohydrate-rich foods, including
cakes,
candy, ice cream, pasta and bread. Those who had the smallest changes
reported being the least hungry.

Matt Tierney, 23, who is studying biology at DePaul University in
Chicago,
participated in the study. He says that after getting only four hours of
sleep for two straight nights, he was so hungry he could have "eaten my
pillow." He had no problems with hunger after the longer nights of
sleep.

Link found to body mass index

Other research released Monday had similar findings. Scientists at the
University of Wisconsin and Stanford University tracked 1,024 people
ages
30
to 60. Participants from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study took sleep
tests
and blood tests every four years and reported their sleep habits.

Findings:

. People who routinely slept five hours a night had a 14.9% higher level
of
ghrelin and a 15.5% lower level of leptin than those who slept eight
hours.

. Those who regularly slept less than 7.7 hours had a slightly higher
body
mass index (BMI).

"It's amazing how much people's sleep is reflected in the hormones in
their
blood," says Mignot, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at
Stanford. His work is reported in today's online issue of the Public
Library
of Science Medicine.

Several epidemiological studies show the same connection, including one
out
last month from Columbia University in New York that used government
data
on
6,115 people to compare sleep patterns and obesity.

Researchers found that people who sleep two to four hours a night are
73%
more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Those
who
get five or more hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be obese
than
normal sleepers. Those who sleep six hours are 23% more likely to be
obese.

And, the researchers reported, those who get 10 or more hours are 11%
less
likely to be obese.

In a way, the latest findings seem counterintuitive "because most people
think that sleeping too much contributes to making people fat, but we
found
the opposite is true," Mignot says.

He believes that sleep-deprived people eat more because they're
hungrier,
they're awake longer and may be tempted by foods everywhere they go.
They
often consume far more calories than they burn in the extra hours
they're
awake.

People are usually pretty sedentary in that extra waking time --
watching
TV, reading, responding to e-mail, Van Cauter says. They may burn an
extra
50 calories or so in several hours, but the changes in hormones prompt
them
to eat far more than 50 calories.

"We believe the changes in appetite regulation are way in excess of the
calories needed for the extra hours of wakefulness. We are testing this
rigorously in the laboratory now," she says.

Sleep may ease holiday stress

Obesity experts are intrigued by these findings. "We've known that
people
use food as a pick-me-up when they are tired, but now it appears they
are
hungrier than we realized, and there is a hormonal basis for their
eating,"
says Thomas Wadden, director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program
at
the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

"The one thing that is clear is that during the holidays people should
sleep
as much as they can and not get too stressed out. That could prevent
some
of
the holiday weight gain."

Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says it looks as if "we
should
tell overweight patients to get more sleep. This is advice that's easier
to
follow than eat less and exercise more. "

"It means watching a little less TV at night and getting to bed
earlier,"
Klein says. "Who on earth would argue about getting more sleep?"

Getting enough sleep and controlling stress are subtle things that could
have an impact on weight, agrees Louis Aronne, president of the North
American Association for the Study of Obesity and director of the
Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Other studies are underway. Van Cauter is looking at how sleep loss
affects
people on low-calorie diets; how shift workers' sleep habits affect
their
weight; and how sleep affects the hunger levels of the morbidly obese.
She's
also investigating sleep deprivation in women and older people.

Mignot says researchers now must to do an intervention study in which
sleep-deprived people increase their sleep time to see if it helps them
lose
weight.

"More and more we're realizing that healthy eating, healthy sleeping and
regular exercise are three important things that everyone should do," he
says.

Van Cauter believes that some people might be extra-sensitive to sleep
deprivation, which "makes it very hard" for them to control their
appetites.

"Our body is not wired for sleep deprivation," she says. "The human
animal
is the only one that does this."



http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...plossmayequalw
eightgain&printer=1


--
Will~

196.2 / 131.8 / 137 lbs
89 / 59.8 / 62.1 Kg

Personal goal 125 lbs / 56.7 Kg

I have never slept over 4 hours in a row unless I am Ill, Lee
Kate Dicey wrote in message
...
Hazell wrote:

And there was me thinking that I atetoo much!
Hazell (who hasn't has an unbroken nights sleep in 5 years)

To me an unbroken night's sleep is a whole four hours without waking up.
Even as a kid I never slept right through. I was a skinny kid, too.
In fact I was skinny until I was 25. Ha! Being a habitual insomniac
hasn't stopped me shedding 46 lbs of excess weight, either. Nor do I
intend to let it stop me shedding the next 24!
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

I have never slept over 4 hours in a row unless I am Ill, Lee
Kate Dicey wrote in message
...
Hazell wrote:

And there was me thinking that I atetoo much!
Hazell (who hasn't has an unbroken nights sleep in 5 years)

To me an unbroken night's sleep is a whole four hours without waking up.
Even as a kid I never slept right through. I was a skinny kid, too.
In fact I was skinny until I was 25. Ha! Being a habitual insomniac
hasn't stopped me shedding 46 lbs of excess weight, either. Nor do I
intend to let it stop me shedding the next 24!
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

I eat when I'm tired (something about thinking that sugar will wake me
up...). So, I guess, if you're sleep deprived *and* tired, then that could
lead to weight gain. Interesting thoughts.

--
Julie.
93.5/73.9/74 (WW)/72 (Personal) kg
205.7/162.6/162.8 (WW)/158 (Personal) lb

Here's our FAQ: http://www.didian.com/asdww/ and welcome notice:
http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html


"Willow" wrote in message
. com...
Sleep loss may equal weight gain

Tue Dec 7, 6:27 AM ET

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Too little sleep can make you fat.



That's the conclusion of some groundbreaking research, including two new
studies released Monday.


Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger
hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The
effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.


It could explain why so many Americans who are chronically sleep-deprived
also are overweight. And it could be part of the reason sleepy college
students, new parents and shift workers pack on pounds.


Researchers say getting enough shut-eye might be a critical component of
weight control. And nutritionists one day might routinely advise dieters
to
"sleep it off" as well as to cut calories and increase exercise.


"We know the obesity epidemic is due to overeating - too big portions, too
much rich food and too little activity - but why do we crave too much of
these rich foods?" says Eve Van Cauter, a University of Chicago sleep
researcher who is the lead investigator on one of the new studies. Maybe,
she says, it's because "we are sleep-deprived and unable to curb our
appetites."


Sleep does indeed appear to be an important piece of the weight-control
puzzle, says Stanford University sleep researcher Emmanuel Mignot, who
also
is releasing new research.


If that's true, it might be part of the solution to the nation's obesity
problem. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese, which
increases their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other
diseases.


This percentage takes on a special significance when balanced against the
fact that an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended
eight hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
In
fact, the average adult gets 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5
hours
on weekends, for a daily average of seven hours.


Van Cauter has spent 25 years doing research on the hormones that are
affected by sleep. She says sleep deprivation activates a small part of
the
hypothalamus, the region of the brain that also is involved in appetite
regulation. She is especially intrigued by, and has done several studies
on,
two critical hormones involved in regulating food intake: ghrelin and
leptin.


They influence eating in different ways. Ghrelin is an
appetite-stimulating
hormone released mostly by the stomach. When ghrelin levels are up, people
feel hungry, Van Cauter says. On the other hand, leptin, considered a
satiety or fullness hormone, is released by the fat cells and tells the
brain about the current energy balance of the body.


When leptin levels are high, that sends a message to the brain that the
body
has enough food, and the person feels full, she says. Low levels indicate
starvation and increase appetite.


The hormones "have been called the yin and yang of hunger," Van Cauter
says.
"One is the accelerator for eating (ghrelin), and the other is the brake
(leptin)."


Hungry for sleep - and food


Van Cauter, who directs the Research Laboratory on Sleep, Chronobiology
and
Neuroendocrinology at the University of Chicago School of Medicine,
examined
the effect of sleep deprivation on these two hormones for her latest
study,
published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine. She had 12 healthy,
normal-weight men, average age 22, come into a hospital laboratory to
sleep,
and eat dinner and breakfast.


On one occasion, they were limited to four hours in bed for each of two
consecutive nights. At another time, they were allowed up to 10 hours in
bed
for two nights. Their blood was drawn at regular intervals, and they were
asked about their hunger. Findings:


. Leptin levels were 18% lower and ghrelin levels were 28% higher after
they
slept four hours.


. The sleep-deprived men who had the biggest hormonal changes also said
they
felt the most hungry and craved carbohydrate-rich foods, including cakes,
candy, ice cream, pasta and bread. Those who had the smallest changes
reported being the least hungry.

Matt Tierney, 23, who is studying biology at DePaul University in Chicago,
participated in the study. He says that after getting only four hours of
sleep for two straight nights, he was so hungry he could have "eaten my
pillow." He had no problems with hunger after the longer nights of sleep.

Link found to body mass index

Other research released Monday had similar findings. Scientists at the
University of Wisconsin and Stanford University tracked 1,024 people ages
30
to 60. Participants from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study took sleep tests
and blood tests every four years and reported their sleep habits.

Findings:

. People who routinely slept five hours a night had a 14.9% higher level
of
ghrelin and a 15.5% lower level of leptin than those who slept eight
hours.

. Those who regularly slept less than 7.7 hours had a slightly higher body
mass index (BMI).

"It's amazing how much people's sleep is reflected in the hormones in
their
blood," says Mignot, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at
Stanford. His work is reported in today's online issue of the Public
Library
of Science Medicine.

Several epidemiological studies show the same connection, including one
out
last month from Columbia University in New York that used government data
on
6,115 people to compare sleep patterns and obesity.

Researchers found that people who sleep two to four hours a night are 73%
more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Those who
get five or more hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be obese
than
normal sleepers. Those who sleep six hours are 23% more likely to be
obese.

And, the researchers reported, those who get 10 or more hours are 11% less
likely to be obese.

In a way, the latest findings seem counterintuitive "because most people
think that sleeping too much contributes to making people fat, but we
found
the opposite is true," Mignot says.

He believes that sleep-deprived people eat more because they're hungrier,
they're awake longer and may be tempted by foods everywhere they go. They
often consume far more calories than they burn in the extra hours they're
awake.

People are usually pretty sedentary in that extra waking time -- watching
TV, reading, responding to e-mail, Van Cauter says. They may burn an extra
50 calories or so in several hours, but the changes in hormones prompt
them
to eat far more than 50 calories.

"We believe the changes in appetite regulation are way in excess of the
calories needed for the extra hours of wakefulness. We are testing this
rigorously in the laboratory now," she says.

Sleep may ease holiday stress

Obesity experts are intrigued by these findings. "We've known that people
use food as a pick-me-up when they are tired, but now it appears they are
hungrier than we realized, and there is a hormonal basis for their
eating,"
says Thomas Wadden, director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at
the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

"The one thing that is clear is that during the holidays people should
sleep
as much as they can and not get too stressed out. That could prevent some
of
the holiday weight gain."

Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says it looks as if "we should
tell overweight patients to get more sleep. This is advice that's easier
to
follow than eat less and exercise more. "

"It means watching a little less TV at night and getting to bed earlier,"
Klein says. "Who on earth would argue about getting more sleep?"

Getting enough sleep and controlling stress are subtle things that could
have an impact on weight, agrees Louis Aronne, president of the North
American Association for the Study of Obesity and director of the
Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Other studies are underway. Van Cauter is looking at how sleep loss
affects
people on low-calorie diets; how shift workers' sleep habits affect their
weight; and how sleep affects the hunger levels of the morbidly obese.
She's
also investigating sleep deprivation in women and older people.

Mignot says researchers now must to do an intervention study in which
sleep-deprived people increase their sleep time to see if it helps them
lose
weight.

"More and more we're realizing that healthy eating, healthy sleeping and
regular exercise are three important things that everyone should do," he
says.

Van Cauter believes that some people might be extra-sensitive to sleep
deprivation, which "makes it very hard" for them to control their
appetites.

"Our body is not wired for sleep deprivation," she says. "The human animal
is the only one that does this."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...gain&printer=1


--
Will~

196.2 / 131.8 / 137 lbs
89 / 59.8 / 62.1 Kg

Personal goal 125 lbs / 56.7 Kg

I eat when I'm tired (something about thinking that sugar will wake me
up...). So, I guess, if you're sleep deprived *and* tired, then that could
lead to weight gain. Interesting thoughts.

--
Julie.
93.5/73.9/74 (WW)/72 (Personal) kg
205.7/162.6/162.8 (WW)/158 (Personal) lb

Here's our FAQ: http://www.didian.com/asdww/ and welcome notice:
http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html


"Willow" wrote in message
. com...
Sleep loss may equal weight gain

Tue Dec 7, 6:27 AM ET

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Too little sleep can make you fat.



That's the conclusion of some groundbreaking research, including two new
studies released Monday.


Scientists have found that sleep deprivation increases levels of a hunger
hormone and decreases levels of a hormone that makes you feel full. The
effects may lead to overeating and weight gain.


It could explain why so many Americans who are chronically sleep-deprived
also are overweight. And it could be part of the reason sleepy college
students, new parents and shift workers pack on pounds.


Researchers say getting enough shut-eye might be a critical component of
weight control. And nutritionists one day might routinely advise dieters
to
"sleep it off" as well as to cut calories and increase exercise.


"We know the obesity epidemic is due to overeating - too big portions, too
much rich food and too little activity - but why do we crave too much of
these rich foods?" says Eve Van Cauter, a University of Chicago sleep
researcher who is the lead investigator on one of the new studies. Maybe,
she says, it's because "we are sleep-deprived and unable to curb our
appetites."


Sleep does indeed appear to be an important piece of the weight-control
puzzle, says Stanford University sleep researcher Emmanuel Mignot, who
also
is releasing new research.


If that's true, it might be part of the solution to the nation's obesity
problem. Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese, which
increases their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other
diseases.


This percentage takes on a special significance when balanced against the
fact that an estimated 63% of American adults do not get the recommended
eight hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
In
fact, the average adult gets 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5
hours
on weekends, for a daily average of seven hours.


Van Cauter has spent 25 years doing research on the hormones that are
affected by sleep. She says sleep deprivation activates a small part of
the
hypothalamus, the region of the brain that also is involved in appetite
regulation. She is especially intrigued by, and has done several studies
on,
two critical hormones involved in regulating food intake: ghrelin and
leptin.


They influence eating in different ways. Ghrelin is an
appetite-stimulating
hormone released mostly by the stomach. When ghrelin levels are up, people
feel hungry, Van Cauter says. On the other hand, leptin, considered a
satiety or fullness hormone, is released by the fat cells and tells the
brain about the current energy balance of the body.


When leptin levels are high, that sends a message to the brain that the
body
has enough food, and the person feels full, she says. Low levels indicate
starvation and increase appetite.


The hormones "have been called the yin and yang of hunger," Van Cauter
says.
"One is the accelerator for eating (ghrelin), and the other is the brake
(leptin)."


Hungry for sleep - and food


Van Cauter, who directs the Research Laboratory on Sleep, Chronobiology
and
Neuroendocrinology at the University of Chicago School of Medicine,
examined
the effect of sleep deprivation on these two hormones for her latest
study,
published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine. She had 12 healthy,
normal-weight men, average age 22, come into a hospital laboratory to
sleep,
and eat dinner and breakfast.


On one occasion, they were limited to four hours in bed for each of two
consecutive nights. At another time, they were allowed up to 10 hours in
bed
for two nights. Their blood was drawn at regular intervals, and they were
asked about their hunger. Findings:


. Leptin levels were 18% lower and ghrelin levels were 28% higher after
they
slept four hours.


. The sleep-deprived men who had the biggest hormonal changes also said
they
felt the most hungry and craved carbohydrate-rich foods, including cakes,
candy, ice cream, pasta and bread. Those who had the smallest changes
reported being the least hungry.

Matt Tierney, 23, who is studying biology at DePaul University in Chicago,
participated in the study. He says that after getting only four hours of
sleep for two straight nights, he was so hungry he could have "eaten my
pillow." He had no problems with hunger after the longer nights of sleep.

Link found to body mass index

Other research released Monday had similar findings. Scientists at the
University of Wisconsin and Stanford University tracked 1,024 people ages
30
to 60. Participants from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study took sleep tests
and blood tests every four years and reported their sleep habits.

Findings:

. People who routinely slept five hours a night had a 14.9% higher level
of
ghrelin and a 15.5% lower level of leptin than those who slept eight
hours.

. Those who regularly slept less than 7.7 hours had a slightly higher body
mass index (BMI).

"It's amazing how much people's sleep is reflected in the hormones in
their
blood," says Mignot, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at
Stanford. His work is reported in today's online issue of the Public
Library
of Science Medicine.

Several epidemiological studies show the same connection, including one
out
last month from Columbia University in New York that used government data
on
6,115 people to compare sleep patterns and obesity.

Researchers found that people who sleep two to four hours a night are 73%
more likely to be obese than those who get seven to nine hours. Those who
get five or more hours of sleep a night are 50% more likely to be obese
than
normal sleepers. Those who sleep six hours are 23% more likely to be
obese.

And, the researchers reported, those who get 10 or more hours are 11% less
likely to be obese.

In a way, the latest findings seem counterintuitive "because most people
think that sleeping too much contributes to making people fat, but we
found
the opposite is true," Mignot says.

He believes that sleep-deprived people eat more because they're hungrier,
they're awake longer and may be tempted by foods everywhere they go. They
often consume far more calories than they burn in the extra hours they're
awake.

People are usually pretty sedentary in that extra waking time -- watching
TV, reading, responding to e-mail, Van Cauter says. They may burn an extra
50 calories or so in several hours, but the changes in hormones prompt
them
to eat far more than 50 calories.

"We believe the changes in appetite regulation are way in excess of the
calories needed for the extra hours of wakefulness. We are testing this
rigorously in the laboratory now," she says.

Sleep may ease holiday stress

Obesity experts are intrigued by these findings. "We've known that people
use food as a pick-me-up when they are tired, but now it appears they are
hungrier than we realized, and there is a hormonal basis for their
eating,"
says Thomas Wadden, director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at
the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

"The one thing that is clear is that during the holidays people should
sleep
as much as they can and not get too stressed out. That could prevent some
of
the holiday weight gain."

Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, says it looks as if "we should
tell overweight patients to get more sleep. This is advice that's easier
to
follow than eat less and exercise more. "

"It means watching a little less TV at night and getting to bed earlier,"
Klein says. "Who on earth would argue about getting more sleep?"

Getting enough sleep and controlling stress are subtle things that could
have an impact on weight, agrees Louis Aronne, president of the North
American Association for the Study of Obesity and director of the
Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Other studies are underway. Van Cauter is looking at how sleep loss
affects
people on low-calorie diets; how shift workers' sleep habits affect their
weight; and how sleep affects the hunger levels of the morbidly obese.
She's
also investigating sleep deprivation in women and older people.

Mignot says researchers now must to do an intervention study in which
sleep-deprived people increase their sleep time to see if it helps them
lose
weight.

"More and more we're realizing that healthy eating, healthy sleeping and
regular exercise are three important things that everyone should do," he
says.

Van Cauter believes that some people might be extra-sensitive to sleep
deprivation, which "makes it very hard" for them to control their
appetites.

"Our body is not wired for sleep deprivation," she says. "The human animal
is the only one that does this."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...gain&printer=1


--
Will~

196.2 / 131.8 / 137 lbs
89 / 59.8 / 62.1 Kg

Personal goal 125 lbs / 56.7 Kg