Sleep Loss Related to Weight Gain

Most adults need seven to hours hours of restful sleep every night. Sleep deprivation results in memory loss, increases the risk of illness and causes depression. Lack of sleep also causes weight gain.

Weight Control Hormones

• The hormones that control appetite, weight loss and weight gain are leptin and grehlin. Leptin assists in suppressing appetite and grehlin increases appetite. Lack of sleep, or sleep deprivation, causes leptin levels to decrease, while grehlin levels increase, resulting in a bigger appetite.

Unhealthy Diet

• When a person is tired from lack of sleep, they may use sugar and caffeine throughout the day for an energy boost. Foods containing large amounts of sugar are likely full of unhealthy calories and have no nutritional value. Over time, this unhealthy eating habit causes weight gain.

Sleep Apnea

• Sleep apnea is a disorder, which causes a person to stop breathing several times while sleeping due to obstructed or blocked airways. A person who has sleep apnea will likely fail to enter the restorative phase of sleep, causing weight gain.