Is There A Link Between Insomnia And Weight Gain

							Can insomnia be linked to health problems such as obesity, diabetes,
hypertension and depression? Latest research has suggested that there
actually might be a connection-¦.      Studies have found a relationship
between the quantity and quality of a person's sleep and many health
problems. Apart from the insomnia symptoms that most people are aware of
like stress, anxiety, depression and mental impairment, research is now
showing correlations between poor and insufficient sleep and some serious
diseases.


  For example, blood pressure usually falls during the sleep cycle,
however, interrupted sleep can adversely affect this normal decline
leading to hypertension and cardiovascular problems. Research also has
shown that insufficient sleep impairs the body's ability to use insulin,
which can lead to the onset of diabetes.        One other very
interesting fact was the correlation between sleep disorders and how it
seems to alter metabolism.      Doctors at the University of Chicago did
some research and found that not getting enough sleep altered basic
bodily functions such as regulating blood-sugar levels, and the
production of various hormones.      The study examined the effects of
sleep deprivation on a group of 11 young men in their 20's. For one week
the participants were allowed only 4 hours of sleep each night and were
told to continue the normal routine of their lives. After one week of 4
hours sleep a night, the participants' metabolic levels and their ability
to process carbohydrates were the same as those of a 65 year old man.
The young men took 40% longer than normal to regulate their blood sugar
levels following a high-carbohydrate meal.      Their ability to secrete
insulin and to respond to insulin both decreased by about 30%. A similar
decrease in acute insulin response can be an early indicator of the onset
of diabetes.      I found these facts quite interesting, although you
have to remember the study was only done on a very few amount of people.
Nevertheless, it still makes you wonder-¦..      Although most of the
attention concerning the obesity and weight gain epidemic has focused on
diet and exercise, emerging research suggests that we may have
underestimated another lifestyle variable that may impact obesity: sleep.
A new study shows that the link between lack of sleep and obesity may be
related to the production of hypocretin. Hypocretin (or orexin) has been
found to have great importance in the study of appetite and sleep. When
you wake up hypocretin is distributed from the deep hypothalamus
throughout the brain. When you go to sleep the levels fade. Lack of
sleep produces Ghrelin which, among other effects, stimulates appetite
and creates less leptin which, among other effects, suppresses appetite.
Sleep is perhaps the most fundamental cycle that the human body has,
since it is when your mind processes the day's events, your body renews
its immune system, and your mind and body are rejuvenated. Your sleep
cycles are also something that your body is most particular about--your
moods are only one of many things that are thrown off by an irregular
sleep cycle.        If insomnia is causing you to have an irregular sleep
cycle and you also notice you are gaining weight, even if the research
and studies are not conclusive about the insomnia/weight gain link, you
still owe it to yourself to regulate your sleep cycles and cure your
insomnia at the very least. There's also a pretty high possibility that
if you resolve your insomnia problem, your weight problem just might be
alleviated too.      Regain control over your sleep and your life now.
Visit   SleepDomain - How To Cure Insomnia and Sleep Disorders to find out
how.


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