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Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
by Lisa Sabin, May 4, 2008
Too Little Sleep
Most of us, myself included get by on too little sleep. We get up early to get to work, get our workouts in, or get the kids off to school. We stay up late, trying to get everything done. It’s hard to relax and unwind at the end of the day.
Research Links Obesity to Sleep Deprivation
A research study conducted at Columbia University in New York City, where scientists studied 3,682 people discovered that those who logged 5 hours a night were 50% more likely to be obese than those who averaged 7 to 9 hours. Those who averaged 4 of fewer hours were 73% more likely to be seriously overweight. People who got 6 hours fared much better, they were only 23% more likely to be obese.
One of the reasons behind the bulge: Sleep deprived people eat more. Regularly getting too little sleep alters eating behavior and metabolism, says Esra Tasali, M.D., a sleep specialist at the University of Chicago. Research has shown that compared with those who got 10 hours of sleep a night, people who had only 4 two night running experienced hormonal changes: a dip in hunger-suppressing leptin along with a rise in appetite-boosting ghrelin. That imbalance leaves you with a major case of the munchies and primed to gain. Making matter worse, the risk for type 2 diabetes increases with every pound gained. But what’s particularly disconcerting is that sleep deprivation on it’s own can also increase diabetes odds even in people who aren’t overweight. When you’re exhausted, your body doesn’t metabolize sugar as efficiently. In fact, your ability to use sugar for energy drops about 30%, Dr Tasali says. The excess sugar remains in your blood, which is what ultimately raises your diabetes risk.
It doesn’t take much to induce these changes-even one week of sleep deprivation can be enough to set off a temporary diabetic effect. Scientists have found that when healthy adults curtail their sleep to 4 hours a night for about a week, their ability to process blood sugar is similar to that of people with diabetes. If you only skimped on sleep for a few days, the effect are reversible, but chronic deprivation may lead to more permanent changes in how your body handles sugar.
Tips for Healthy Sleep Habits
Getting enough sleep can be a challenge. However, there are some things you can do to help get a good night’s sleep.
- Developing some rituals will signal the body and mind to slow down.
- Don’t go to bed unless you are tired.
- If after 20 minutes you can’t sleep, get out of bed and find something else that will help you relax.
- Limit alcohol, caffeine and sugar consumption before bed.
- Avoid stenuous exercise within 4 hours of bedtime.
- Make your bedroom comfortable and quiet, no TV, no harsh lighting, etc.
Sources:
- Self Magazine, Healthier By Morning, by Krisin Kane
- Seattle Woman, August 2005, Sleepless All Over Seattle, by Roberta Greenwood
14 Comments: :
Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
May 6th, 2008 12:32 am
newbierunner says:
Yeesh…I need to stop working so many night shifts
May 6th, 2008 5:35 am
heather.kick says:
Great article! Night shifts must be hard. I don’t work late night shifts, but I could be at work as early as 5:15, and as late as 8:45, depending on the day, with shifts like 5:15-1:15, 12-8, or split, depending on the day. Even the days I don’t work early, it is hard to sleep in.
May 6th, 2008 6:38 am
mtbman1 says:
Yes, I’ve seen this information recently and have begun changing my sleep habits. I have been working with 4-5 hours sleep per night for years and have recently upped it to 7 hrs. And yes, I am/have been overweight. An additional factor is that I simply eat more when I stay up late. Joe Friel even talks about the value of midday naps in his Cyclists Training Bible!
May 6th, 2008 11:27 am
Karl McCracken says:
Since I got serious about training this year, I’m getting 7 hours most nights, compared with 5-6 hours that used to do me. I have to say that for me, I’ve found that more sleep = good.
About ten years ago, I was working a weird shift pattern for six months - an 8-day rotating cycle, where you did two 12-hour days (7am - 7pm), had the third day off, but worked for that night & the next (7pa-7am), and then had four days off. Based on my experience of this, I have to agree with what you’ve said here. I put on about 20lb in weight in those six months. On the plus side though, that’s all gone now
I can pretty much shrug off jet-lag AND I now have the ability to sleep whenever and wherever I want. I guess that every cloud has a silver lining!
May 7th, 2008 8:49 am
cyndif5 says:
Guess I really need to change my ways. I work until midnight, then go to the gym, bike for an hour and run for 20 min. Worst part is, I’m hungry when I get home and then I have a TV in my room. Guess I hit all the signs of this.
May 7th, 2008 6:34 pm
Bill Anders says:
No.
But I’ve been getting a great mid-afternoon nap in most days.
May 8th, 2008 3:46 am
Andy says:
I’ve also been keeping an eye on my eating patterns vs. amount of sleep. My calorie intake is definitely up the longer I’m awake. I just need to finish my contract and then, no more dodgy sleep patterns!!
May 8th, 2008 8:16 am
carriejean says:
I rarely get enough sleep at night!! With a new baby I sleep very light!! He’s sleeping through the night (8-12 hours a night - usually about 10), but every noise, every cough, coo, etc. that I hear over the monitor, wakes me up!! But I don’t, however, eat due to being awake more.
I definately see the connection though. My sister and brother-in-law are both obese and they are very much “night owls”, even with their 2 young children being in the home. With their late nights, and the way they drink their “diet sodas” that they think are healthy - (SO NOT HEALTHY) - by the case, this research makes sense to me. Because most overweight people fit this mold.
I could go on and on about this stuff….but I won’t!! GREAT ARTICLE!! It really made me think about my sleeping patterns….I need to relax more at night….
May 8th, 2008 9:03 am
garyd says:
This is a great post… I just wish I wasn’t too tired to read it right now
May 11th, 2008 11:30 am
Gary’s Fitness Blog » Things I learned by running two marathons in 8 days: And how these lessons can help you. » Sweat365 » Fitness Community says:
[…] 2. I couldn’t get enough sleep or rest. Lisa wrote a post about sleep that came at the right moment. The issue for me is that my 6am appointments are not so much concerned about me sleeping in (although if they can, they will change at times). And I have to admit, this week was very difficult. I tried to take a nap during the week, but that is difficult because my body normally doesn’t like to nap. I did crash for 1.5 hours on Monday! […]
May 14th, 2008 8:22 am
kevronan says:
Lisa
Great article . I am a light sleeper but on strong workout days I tend to sleep better. I am trying to train for a half marathon in October. As I up my milage sould I get more sleep or the same?
Thanks
Kevin
State of Maine
June 4th, 2008 8:20 am
rugman says:
Oh, I am in the exactly same situation as Kevin, and have the same question.
Anybody have some feedback?
Thanks,
Mark
New Jersey
July 14th, 2008 12:33 am
dmt0311 says:
As mtbman stated earlier, Joe Friel states in The Triathlete’s Bible
“The average person seems to need 7 hours of sleep each day. As the intensity and volume of training increase, sleep requirements also rise. Professional athletes typically sleep 10-12 hours a day.” (Triathletes Training Bible, Ch.1 Pg. 7, Joe Friel).
I have a two year old that takes a nap 3-4 hours after she wakes up in the morning. I usually will get 6-7 hours of sleep and exercise right when I get up in the morning so that I can nap with her. That way I feel that I am spending some time with her. It’s especially beneficial when I get woken up by kisses! =-]. On the days I keep this schedule I feel happier and anxious for the next workout. On the days I work through the nap I get irritable and sometimes migrains and then end up drinking too much coffee to fight the migrain and the tiredness. I also tend to stray from my diet and eat poorly.
Good article!
Dustin
August 2nd, 2008 8:14 pm
barbanew says:
Wow, I am not alone with sleeping issues. I would love to get off the sleeping pills and be normal again. I know for sure how sleep is important to your body, and mind. Happy Sleeping to us all!!!
barbanew