Is There a Link Between a Lack of Sleep and Weight Gain?

Jennifer Morzier February 10, 2020 Eat Well, Health, Weight Loss

Cutting your nights short might increase your waistline? This is what I will try to clarify in this article.

According to the recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation, an adult should sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night. However, in Canada, more than 1 in 4 adults do not comply with these recommendations, which has an impact on health and particularly on weight.

Numerous studies on the subject have put forward a close link between a lack of sleep and being overweight. For example, people who are chronically sleep deprived are more likely to be obese, gain weight, have a higher waist circumference as well as body fat percentage than those who sleep seven hours or more.

The mechanisms that could explain this link are still under study. However, one could explain this correlation due to the following factors:

      1) Hormones

Sleep helps regulate the hormones of hunger (ghrelin) and satiety (leptin). When sleep hours are not sufficient, the level of ghrelin increases and the level of leptin decreases resulting in a disturbance in our signals of hunger and satiety.

      2) Nutrition

Studies show that people who lack sleep tend to eat foods with a higher caloric density and consume between 200 and 600 more calories per day. When we feel tired, we are less inclined to cook and turn to commercial or restaurant food products, which are often less interesting from a nutritional point of view because they are more fatty, more salty and sweeter. In addition, fatigue can cause impaired judgment and decision making which can affect food choices.

      3) Physical activity

Just as we are less likely to cook, a tired person will be less likely to move. Which is a shame because exercise has many benefits including improving the quality of sleep.

Thus, by eating more and moving less, weight will be more likely to gather on the body.

This relationship between a lack of sleep and weight gain does not spare children either. In effect, some researchers have associated poor sleep in children with weight problems in adulthood, and a lack of sleep has been shown to increase the risk of obesity in children.

In short, if you are starting a lifestyle change aimed at losing weight, pay close attention to what you put on your plate but also to your sleep. Make sure you get enough and quality sleep by paying close attention to your environment before bedtime and during the night.

References

• Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et coll. National Sleep Foundation’s updated sleep duration recommendations: Final report. Sleep Health 2015; 1:233–43
• Santé Canada, Les adultes canadiens dorment-ils suffisamment? Modifié le 6 septembre 2019. https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-publique/services/publications/vie-saine/adultes-canadiens-dorment-suffisamment-infographique.html
• Damien Léger & François Bourdillon. Le déclin du temps de sommeil en France n’est pas une fatalité. 12 mars 2019. http://beh.santepubliquefrance.fr/beh/2019/8-9/pdf/2019_8-9_0.pdf
• Institut national de santé publique du Québec, TOPO. Les synthèse de l’équipe nutrition. Numéro 4, Septembre 2012. https://www.inspq.qc.ca/pdf/publications/1545_SommeilProbPoidsNouvPistInte.pdf
• Chaput, J. P., Despres, J. P., Bouchard, C., & Tremblay, A. (2012). Longer sleep duration associates with lower adiposity gain in adult short sleepers. International journal of obesity, 36(5), 752-756.
• Taheri, S., Lin, L., Austin, D., Young, T., & Mignot, E. (2004). Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS medicine, 1(3).
• Chaput JP, Després JP, Bouchard C, Tremblay A. The association between sleep duration and weight gain in adults : a 6-year prospective study from the Quebec family study. Sleep 2008; 31:517-523.
• Nielsen, L. S., Danielsen, K. V., & Sørensen, T. I. A. (2011). Short sleep duration as a possible cause of obesity: critical analysis of the epidemiological evidence. Obesity Reviews, 12(2), 78-92.
• The sleep foundation. A Good Night’s Sleep Can Help You Maintain A Healthy Weight. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/excessive-sleepiness/health-impact/good-nights-sleep-can-help-you-maintain-healthy-weight
• Extenso (2013), Qui dort dîne? https://www.extenso.org/article/qui-dort-dine/
• Bell, J. F., & Zimmerman, F. J. (2010). Shortened nighttime sleep duration in early life and subsequent childhood obesity. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 164(9), 840-845.
• Chen X, Beydoun MA, Wang Y. Is sleep duration associated with childhood obesity? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity 2008; 16: 265-274.

Author

Jennifer Morzier

Jennifer is a Registered Dietitian graduated from the University of Montreal in December 2018 and is a member of the Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec (OPDQ). She believes that the quality of our food choices has a direct impact on our health and energy level. Her goal? To help people improve the quality of what they put in their plates, for their better well-being and greater pleasure.