Lose
weight as you sleep
July 6, 2004
SLEEPING longer can help you shed those unwanted kilos.
Swimming and sleep can help keep the kilos off
A new report backs previous research showing you can lose weight by spending an extra hour in bed.
The reason is that one of the chemicals released during sleep is leptin, which helps suppress the production of fat cells by curbing the appetite.
Other hormones could also play a part.
The findings, published in the journal Sleep, also suggest that people who have too little sleep, like night workers, could be at a greater risk of obesity.
Experts say lack of sleep affects hormones which help burn off kilojoules during the day.
Researchers in the US monitored some 500 adults, aged 27-40, over 13 years.
In that time the volunteers put on an average 2kg in weight, while the time they slept fell from 7.7 to 7.3 hours among women and 7.1 to 6.9 hours among men.
Study leader Dr Gregor Hasler, of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, said: "There are a number of reasons why people might put on weight while decreasing the amount of time they sleep.
"A key factor might be that the longer you stay up the more likely you are to eat while watching TV for instance. Another possibility is we could be playing havoc with the body's systems, which are linked to going to bed at night and getting a reasonable amount of sleep."
Those who gained most weight slept less than six hours a night.
In the UK, obesity has doubled during the past 30 years, while the number of adults suffering sleep deprivation has risen by 39 per cent.
Source:www.news.com.au
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