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MARCH 10, 2022 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Health & F tness
How Does Sleep Impact Your Health? By Aliza Beer MS, RD, CDN
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esearch suggests that there is a significant connection between weight and sleep. There is a positive correlation between good sleep and a healthy body weight. Conversely, having less than 6-7 hours of sleep nightly is associated with an increase in weight and body mass index. A lack of sleep can lead to impaired decision-making capabilities. This can impact impulse control and self-control, which can make balanced eating and watching your weight more difficult. 1. Sleep and Appetite: Appetite is controlled by neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that allow nerve cells to communicate with each other. Neurotransmitters called leptin and ghrelin are the appetite controllers. Leptin is a hormone that decreases your hunger, while ghrelin increases your hunger. Sleep plays a huge role in regulating these hormones. Short sleep – less than 7-6 hours nightly – is associated with low leptin, which means there will be diminished feelings of fullness. Additionally, short sleep leads to increased ghrelin, which means an increased appetite. Thus, those that are sleep deprived are more likely to have increased hunger and decreased fullness. 2. Sleep and Metabolism: When we sleep, our bodies burn about 50 calories per hour. Thus, the less we sleep, the fewer calories our bodies can burn. Moreover, poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep have a detrimental effect on the metabolism. The body has more oxidative stress, higher blood sugar intolerance, and insulin resistance when it’s not well-rested. This can eventu-
cording to one study, those that are sleep-deprived find weight loss difficult. The study also found that participants who slept fewer hours snacked more, craved carbohydrates, and had difficulty maintaining self-control.
Foods to Help Induce Sleep
ally lead to type 2 diabetes. Too little sleep also triggers a cortisol spike, an increase in the stress hormone that signals your body to conserve fuel. Cortisol increases your appetite and can lead to weight gain. Therefore, sleep is essential for our metabolisms to function optimally. 3. Sleep and Cravings: Have you ever noticed that you feel hungrier or crave certain foods after a bad night of sleep? Studies have indicated that sleep deprivation affects food preferences. Those who aren’t well-rested are more likely to choose foods that are high in carbohydrates and calories. Those extra calories can lead to weight gain and can be detrimental to your health. Sleep helps give you energy. Therefore, when you don’t get enough energy from sleep, your body will attempt to eat more to fill that gap and give you an energy boost. 4. Sleep and Physical Activity: When you don’t sleep well or
enough, you may not have the energy to exercise the next day. It is easy to fall into a negative cycle of bad sleep and no physical activity. On the other hand, regular exercise can improve sleep quality, and a restful night can also improve your exercise by allowing you to feel rested and not too tired to work out. They positively reinforce each other. 5. Sleep and Late-night Eating: Research has shown that when people are sleep-deprived, they snack more at night. This is because their rhythms are disrupted due to a lack of sleep. Additionally, if you go to sleep earlier, you’ll do less late-night snacking. 6. The Big Three: A healthy diet, physical activity, and sleep are the three pillars of a healthy life. They are also the most important factors in maintaining a healthy weight. Sleep loss makes working out less appealing and makes it more difficult to choose healthy foods. Ac-
1. Complex carbohydrates like whole-grain bread and grains are a better option than simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates reduce serotonin levels and do not promote sleep. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in preventing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and therefore helps you get into a deep sleep. Because complex carbohydrates keep blood sugar levels stable, they will help you stay asleep. 2. Tart cherries have a large concentration of melatonin, a hormone that helps promote healthy sleep. They have been proven to increase both sleep time and efficiency for people with insomnia. All cherries contain melatonin, but studies have shown that the highest quantity is in tart cherries. 3. Nuts like walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios contain melatonin, zinc, and magnesium, which will help people sleep better. Eating nuts will tax your digestive system and boost the hormones that contribute to tiredness. 4. Oatmeal is high in carbohydrates and has been reported to help induce drowsiness when eaten before bed. Oats contain tryptophan, an amino acid that the brain converts into serotonin, which is a natural mood stabilizer. 5. Bananas contain potassium and magnesium, which are both
