Deadhouse Gates

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 60 million adults report having interrupted sleep at least a few nights per week and more than 40 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder.

Obesity is a disease that affects nearly one-third of the adult American population – approximately 60 million adults.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But there are numerous studies on the impact that sleep deprivation has on hormones and metabolism. Specifically:

• Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. As such, despite adequate calorie intake individuals who are sleep deprived may continue to feel hungry.
• Decreased amounts of restorative deep sleep have been associated with significantly reduced levels of growth hormone; a protein that helps regulates the body’s proportions of fat and muscle.
• Lack of sleep may interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates and cause increased levels of glucose (sugar). Excess glucose promotes the over production of insulin, which can promote the storage of body fat.
• Sleep deprivation directly impacts the production of both leptin and ghrelin, two hormones that regulate appetite. Lack of sleep results in higher levels of ghrelin, a hunger stimulating hormone, while decreasing the production of leptin, a hormone that signals your brain that you are satiated.

So, how much sleep do we need? Eight hours is optimal according to The National Sleep Foundation.

Train hard; stay strong; get a good night’s rest!