Struggling with weight loss can be frustrating, but it is miserable when youre also tired all the time. For people with apnea, there is a scientific connection between weight gain and sleep loss.
Yes, sleep is necessary for not only mental focus and physical stamina but is essential to regulate your weight!
You might have a hidden sleep disorder that is wreaking havoc on your hormones ” and leading to more weight gain!
And this is not some rare situation. You might be one of the estimated 80 million Americans with sleep apnea who has not yet been diagnosed!
Trying to lose weight without treating your apnea is a losing battle. Your body needs deep sleep night after night to regulate healthy functions, maintain your metabolism and to lose weight.
If you have apnea and are not regularly using CPAP, then you are almost certainly going to gain weight.
What’s the relationship between sleep apnea and weight gain:
1. When your body feels tired it automatically craves fuel in the form of sugar, carbohydrates and other foods with a high glycemic index. In a study published by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, people with the most severe cases of sleep disorders also had the highest intake of calories, protein, cholesterol and saturated fat.
2. In a report from the Quebec Family Study, people who regularly only get five to six hours of sleep per night are 35% more likely to gain up to 11-pounds of fat over six years compared to a person who sleeps between seven to eight hours per night.
3. Lack of deep, restful sleep increases the levels of the hormone ghrelin in your gastrointestinal tract. This hormone functions to stimulate your appetite. Yes, it makes you feel hungry. It turns out that good night’s sleep is nature’s appetite suppressant.
