Sleep Well to Eat Well

The link between sleep and health has been well documented, and research aside, you know you just feel better after a good night’s sleep. You have more energy, and can think more clearly. Sleep is the time in which your body recharges and reorganizes, getting ready for the next day.

During sleep your body also has a chance to regulate and resets the hormones that regulated appetite. We often think of hormones as those chemicals that make teenagers do crazy and lustful things, but the real definition of a hormone is a chemical made in one part of the body that tells another part of the body what to do. For example, the hormone leptin is mostly made by the fat cells in our body; the more fat cells in the body the more leptin we have. This hormone then travels through our body to our brain and tells our brain that we have had enough to eat. Another hormone that works in conjunction with leptin to control appetite is ghrelin. Ghrelin is made mostly by cells in the stomach and stimulates appetite. Along with several other factors, these hormones seem to play a role in weight regulation.

Now what about the link with sleep? Well, those who sleep less (fewer than eight hours per night) have reduced leptin and elevated ghrelin levels. Not surprisingly those who get fewer hours of sleep at night also have a higher body mass index (BMI). The good news is, is that you can readjust your appetite hormone levels by sleeping more. The first step to a better night’s sleep is to take stock of how many hours you are really getting now (be honest with yourself). Are you starting the bedtime process at 10pm but by the time your head hits the pillow it’s really 11:30pm and you have to get up at 6am? This is clearly not getting you the eight hours you need every.

Another factor to consider is the quality of sleep you are getting. If you seem to consistently be getting about eight hours every night, but still feel lethargic and more hungry than you feel you should be, you may have sleep apnea or another sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is a condition wherein your breathing stops throughout the night, affecting the quality of your sleep. This or other sleep disorders may leave you feeling as if you stayed up all night, so check with your physician and get the help you need to sleep well and eat well.