Jenny Crissman MS L. Ac.
Sleep and weight are a two way street. Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain and weight gain can lead to lack of sleep.
Here at Integrative Healing I see so many patients troubled by both. I want to help shed some light on the fact that they are connected and can be corrected.
Less Hours or Less recuperative Sleep = Weighing More
Quality sleep effects two major hormone pathways. If you lack sleep your pituitary gland which acts as the director for all of your other hormones is very sensitive to a lack of sleep. While you sleep it coordinates the release of thyroid and growth hormones and will suppress the release of cortisol.
Chronic sleep deprivation leads to an elevation of cortisol in the evening and throughout the day. When cortisol is chronically high so is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance and is a key factor in weight gain and a contributing factor to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Sustained elevation of insulin will lead to storing more calories as fat for later use.
People who tend to get less sleep are tend to be heavier than those who sleep enough.
There are also other hormones that control your appetite that are negatively impacted by sleep loss. They produce hunger and will make you even hungrier than you should be relative to the energy you are expending. Leptin is a hormone produced in your gut and it helps regulate how satiated you feel. It becomes less efficient with lack of sleep. So ofter you may feel hungry even if you have eaten recently. At eh same time ghrelin a hormone that stimulates your appetite goes up!! This is a sure fire formula for eating more in general and never feeling satisfied.
Weigh More = Less recuperative sleep
Being over weight can keep you from getting enough sleep. Weight related issues such as Apnea, Arthritis or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease can keep you from sleeping well. You may be in bed for 7-8 hours but get poor sleep and not wake refreshed. Poor sleep has the same effects on weight as lack of sleep.
Apnea is avery common cause of poor sleep. Your airway collapses or is blocked while you sleep. Breath becomes very shallow and can even stop while you sleep. The pause can last for a few seconds or up to a minute. In severe apnea this can happen as often as 30 times or more in an hour. It may wake you but you fall back to sleep without even realizing you woke. This poor quality of sleep leads to many chronic illness inducing high blood pressure, diabetes, cognitive disorders and can contribute to the risk of cancer and heart attacks.
Weigh gain can stress joints and increase the incidence of arthritis. Painful joints can keep you up at night. Anti-inflammatory drugs may help you sleep but they also come with the increased risk for digestive upset and damage if used longterm.
Ways to Change the Direction and get Better Sleep:
-Seek professional help. If apnea is suspected get a sleep study diagnosis.
-Move sleep to the top of your priority list
-Get help with acupuncture
-Come in for a professional herbalist consult here at Integrative Healing. Let me help you determine some adaptogenic herbs/ supplements to help regulate cortisol, leptin, stress response and encourage restful sleep
There are many single herbs and nutrients to lower stress response: Ashwaganda, Rhodiola, Theanine, Holy Basil,GABA...
One of my Favorite combination of herbs: Cortisol Calm https://www.pureencapsulations.com/media/CortisolCalm.pdf
-Herbs to help with satiety and Blood sugar regulation:
Thermo- EFX,https://shop.designsforhealth.com/thermo-efx?quantity=1&custcol_dfh_size=64
Gymnema,
Metabol Complex https://www.standardprocess.com/Products/Literature/Metabol-Complex-Metabolic-Multi-Action-Formula-H
You will be pleasantly surprised how much your personal and work life improve with quality sleep. Being well rested gives you more energy and improves wellbeing! You will have a greater ability to change your diet and stay focused on creating longterm wellness!
Call for an appointment today. It's time for a better nights sleep!!