Sleep deprivation and obesity in adults: a brief narrative review

Abstract

Background/aimsObesity and sleep deprivation are two epidemics that pervade developed nations. Their rates have been steadily rising worldwide, especially in the USA. This short communication will explore the link between the two conditions and outline the proposed mechanisms behind their relationship.MethodsStudies on the topic of sleep and obesity were reviewed, and findings were used to develop a theoretical model for the biological link between short sleep duration and obesity.ResultsIndividuals who regularly slept less than 7 hours per night were more likely to have higher average body mass indexes and develop obesity than those who slept more. Studies showed that experimental sleep restriction was associated with increased levels of ghrelin, salt retention and inflammatory markers as well as decreased levels of leptin and insulin sensitivity.ConclusionsThere may be a link between obesity and sleep deprivation. We recommend further investigations are to elucidate the potential mechanisms.

Late bedtime and dental caries incidence in Kuwaiti children: A longitudinal multilevel analysis

“…Ghrelin and leptin modulate appetite in reverse directions . Ghrelin is a hormone that controls energy balance through stimulating appetite and gastrointestinal activity .…”

Sleep matters: Can a good night's sleep help tackle the obesity crisis?

“…People who sleep less may have extra opportunities in their day to consume calories, such as late at night or early in the morning (Cooper et al . ). For example, there is evidence that children and adolescents tend to snack when they stay up late to play computer games, watch television or engage in social media (Cappuccio & Miller ).…”

“…; Ogilvie & Patel ; St‐Onge ; Cooper et al . ). However, the recent systematic review by Zhu et al .…”

“…Sleep deprivation also causes fatigue, which may reduce the motivation to cook healthy food and/or engage in physical activity, and lead to an increase in sedentary behaviour (Ogilvie & Patel ; Cooper et al . ).…”

Avaliação da sonolência do estudante de Medicina no Brasil e sua influência na qualidade de vida e ambiente de ensino

“…Além do prejuízo das funções motoras e mentais decorrentes da restrição do sono há prejuízo na função endócrina, como redução da tolerância à glicose, diminuição da leptina (que suprime o apetite), aumento do cortisol, supressão da melatonina e diminuição do pico do hormônio do crescimento (Banks and Dinges, 2007). Indivíduos que dormem de sete horas por noite são mais propensos a ter maiores índices de massa corporal e desenvolver obesidade do que aqueles que dormiam mais (Cooper et al, 2018;Theorell-Haglöw and Lindberg, 2016) A prevalência de distúrbios do sono na população geral é difícil quantificar, pois depende dos critérios que se usa para defini-las. Existem autores que defendem que a maioria das pessoas não são cronicamente privadas de sono, mas simplesmente optam por não dormir tanto quanto poderiam (Harrison and Horne, 1995).…”