We all know that sleep is essential for health. Not only do you feel better, you actually ARE better. Poor sleep is linked to a host of medical issues, from dementia to weight gain. There are many studies which show sleep and sleep loss cause endocrine problems which lead to obesity. The New York Times published an article citing many of them, “How Sleep Loss Adds to Weight Gain,” back in 2013. This is not new news and has been widely studied.
How Does Sleep Affect Your Hormones?
There is science this. You have hormones released, which change depending on the amount of sleep you get:
- Cortisol. We all have heard of this one. This is your “stress” hormone. Levels change throughout the day. When you wake while sleeping, there is a pulse in cortisol secretion. Evening cortisol levels are highest when people are in a state of sleep deprivation. Higher cortisol levels are bad. They make you crave food, particularly food that is not healthy.
- Growth Hormone. This is controlled by sleep wake homeostasis. There is usually a pulse shortly after you fall asleep, but if you aren’t sleeping well, the GH pulse shifts or is absent.
- Adenosine. This is a metabolic byproduct that helps you think clearly and promotes sleepiness as it accumulates in your brain. Without rest, it builds up. You need sleep to clear it. (Fun fact: caffeine stimulates by blocking adenosine.)
- Leptin. This is a hormone made by fat cells that makes you feel “full.” It is elevated during sleep, so you aren’t hungry when you sleep. If you are in sleep debt–>lower leptin–> feel hungry.
- Ghrelin. This is released from the stomach and makes you feel hungry. If sleep deprived, people showed a 28% increase in ghrelin, which makes them hungry particularly for carbs.
- Glucose tolerance. If in sleep debt, your tolerance decreases by 40%.
- Insulin. Those with poor sleep have increased insulin resistance.
How Can Biohackr Health Help?
WEIGHT LOSS. We have multiple ways of helping you address your weight, from NAD, probiotics which help fight insulin resistance, hormones (particularly good for women in menopause), and semaglutide and tirzepatide.
TESTING. We always bring this up, but you should know where you are at, particularly with glucose and insulin resistance.
EDUCATION. All of these health issues are interlinked. There is a clear association between weight and lack of sleep. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg issue. Does being overweight make your sleep worse? Or does poor sleep lead to weight gain?
