Sleep Loss and Metabolic Disruption
Does sleep loss have a metabolic effect?
I believe, innately, we all know the answer to this question. However, with 1 in 3 US adults reporting getting inadequate sleep every night, it seems lack of sleep is becoming a larger and larger problem.
After just a single night of poor sleep the metabolism is affected. Factors that are involved include an increase in insulin resistance, a disruption in satiety hormone signaling (i.e. leptin and ghrelin), and an altered eating pattern.
What does all this mean? It means that chronic sleep loss is associated with a greater risk of many disease states.
Sometimes though, even with the best of intentions, interrupted sleep is unavoidable. Sometimes we go to bed too late. Or, we have to get up too early. Life happens! So what's the best way to manage it, other than just saying "I have to do better"?
Disregarding the amount of hours of sleep, the best way to manage sleep loss is through achieving a greater quality of sleep. This means turning off screens 90 minutes or more prior to bed, sleeping in your bed (not falling asleep on the couch...guilty!), sleeping in a completely dark, cool room, and not consuming a lot of food or alcohol close to bedtime.
If you're not feeling well, or not getting the results you would like, evaluate, what we consider, the four pillars of health...Exercise, Nutrition, Stress, and SLEEP. Any one of these being "off" can be holding you back.
As always,
GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT.
Confused on where to start?
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