mybonsecours
A little can go a long way.
When it comes to sleep disorders like sleep apnea, research suggests that obese individuals who suffer from sleep apnea can
improve their condition significantly by losing just 10% of their weight. Studies also suggest that sleep loss may increase hunger and affect the body’s metabolism, which may make it more difficult to maintain or lose weight.
Sleep loss appears to do two things:
- Makes you feel hungry even when you are full.
Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. As a result, individuals who lose sleep may continue to feel hungry despite adequate food intake. - Increases fat storage.
Sleep loss may interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates, which leads to high levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar promotes the overproduction of insulin, which can lead to the storage of body fat and insulin resistance, a critical step in developing diabetes.
What is the connection between weight loss and sleep?
Many people who are overweight have sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing starts and stops during sleep, consequently causing numerous awakenings. This may occur hundreds of times a night, without your even knowing it. So you can imagine how sleepy you could feel the next day. Sleep apnea is thought to affect between 55-90% of obese Americans.
While weight loss helps many patients reduce the severity of their sleep apnea, it is not a cure all. Many bariatric surgery patients say their sleep apnea goes away or becomes more bearable after surgery and many post-surgery bariatric patients choose to discontinue treatment for sleep apnea. Due to negative impacts on health and quality of life associated with sleep apnea, it is recommended that surgical weight loss patients continue CPAP therapy, but undergo re-evaluation to assess for residual apnea.
Good health isn't a race, it's a life-long journey. When you decide to manage your weight and work toward safe and healthy methods of shedding pounds, you have taken that all-important first step. For those who think that their weight may be negatively affecting their ability to sleep soundly, The Bon Secours Weight Loss Institute may be able to help you take that first step towards better health and better sleep.
