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Less Sleep Could Lead To Weight Gain

by Medindia Content Team on Dec 16 2004 3:35 PM

According to a recent study researchers find people who get only four hours a night have increased levels of a hormone which in turn could lead to weight gain.

An investigation was conducted among 12 healthy young men whose hormone levels and appetites were measured before the study started, after they had slept about four hours a night for two nights, and after they had slept about 10 hours a night for two nights. Levels of leptin, which sends a signal of fullness, decreased on average by 18 percent with less sleep, while levels of ghrelin, which triggers the desire to eat, increased on average by 28 percent.

Subjective measures of appetite also went up with less sleep, by about 24 percent . It was also observed that, the types of foods the men craved after sleeping less were those typically associated with weight gain: cookies, sweets, chips, nuts, bread and pasta.

In conclusion researchers say that sleep loss due to voluntary curtailment of time in bed has become a hallmark of modern society, and they believe that their findings indicate a need for greater attention to sleep .


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