Sleep Yourself Thin?
The Journal Pediatrics reports that new research has found a link between childhood sleep patterns and obesity later in life.
The study conducted by the New Zealand Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit followed children born between 1972 and 1973. The Unit compared the subjects' sleep times as children with their adult Body Mass Index (BMI). According to the researchers:
The reason for this correlation is unclear. One theory is that sleep deprivation may disrupt hormone regulation and thus affect appetite. Another idea is that children who don't get enough sleep are more tired the next day and hence less physically active.
They report concludes:
Note the word "adequate" - which is not the same as "excessive"!
Unfortunately the "sleep yourself thin" idea only applies if you're still a child. If you're already an adult then there's nothing in this new research to suggest that more sleep will help you lose weight.
The study conducted by the New Zealand Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit followed children born between 1972 and 1973. The Unit compared the subjects' sleep times as children with their adult Body Mass Index (BMI). According to the researchers:
"Shorter childhood sleep times were significantly associated with higher adult BMI values"
The reason for this correlation is unclear. One theory is that sleep deprivation may disrupt hormone regulation and thus affect appetite. Another idea is that children who don't get enough sleep are more tired the next day and hence less physically active.
They report concludes:
"Ensuring that children get adequate sleep may be a useful strategy for stemming the current obesity epidemic"
Note the word "adequate" - which is not the same as "excessive"!
Unfortunately the "sleep yourself thin" idea only applies if you're still a child. If you're already an adult then there's nothing in this new research to suggest that more sleep will help you lose weight.
