(Newswire.net — October 24, 2018) — Sleep, particularly rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, is important to the body. It has been shown that people who have a REM sleep deficit experience a phenomenon called the REM rebound, which pushes them to compensate for what they lack by spending more time in that stage when they actually get to sleep.
However, not everyone has the luxury of longer sleep time. There are those who need to work graveyard shifts. There are also those who need to be up to take care of newborns. These obligations often result in chronic sleep deficits that will eventually take its toll on the body. Sleep deprivation has been associated with a number of ill effects such as lowered immunity to diseases. It also predisposes people to obesity. In what ways? Let’s take a look.
Sleep deprivation leads to a higher level of cortisol.
Sleep deprived individuals have been found to have higher levels of cortisol in their bodies. This hormone is usually associated with stress. When under stress, the body releases a large amount of energy that is to be used fighting or fleeing from the stressor.
However.cortisol also influences the release of other hormones that influence hunger. It increases the production and eventual release of hunger-increasing hormone ghrelin. At the same time, cortisol halts the release of hunger-suppressing leptin. Needless to say, this results in an individual who is always craving for something.
Sleep deprivation increases appetite for sugary foods.
As if craving food is not enough, cortisol also binds with some receptors in the hypothalamus, resulting in intense cravings for energy-dense or sugary foods in particular. It’s no wonder why those that we consider as ‘comfort food’ in times of stress are usually ice cream, cakes, and others that are high in sugar and fat. For some reason, women more than men tend to be more vulnerable to this effect.
Sleep deprivation indirectly increases insulin resistance.
The cortisol that the body tends to overproduce when it is sleep deprived tends to increase insulin resistance over time, which leads to high concentrations of insulin in the bloodstream. When this happens, the individual may end up having diabetes. If not, it causes the cells to lose energy quickly, triggering more cravings and eating.
Indeed, it is important for any individual to get the right amount of sleep every day. There really is no magic number to follow, though. Each body is different, and so is its sleep requirement. How will a person know the right number of hours that they should spend sleeping? Those who can afford it can take some time off for at least a week. They keep out of stress and sleep for as long as they want each night. In the first nights, the person might spend more hours sleeping, especially if they’ve been sleep deprived at some point. Over time, a stable number of sleep hours will eventually be seen.
For people who suffer from sleep problems, they can take supplements like Pure Encapsulations, especially if they are sensitive to a wide range of allergens. Products from this company are made from fairly-harvested organic ingredients.