Can sleep apnea have an effect on your weight? Research reveals that this is likely the case.
Lack of sleep is intrinsically tied with weight gain, with many nutritionists recommending an adequate amount of sleep if you want to lose weight, along with a proper diet and exercise.
However, those who have sleep apnea don’t simply get the luxury of having a good night’s sleep. The condition can cause someone to stop breathing, as many as 30 times per hour, which clearly interferes with the quality of sleep people are getting. [1]
A study posted in the International Journal of Obesity, which took place at the University of Helsinki, confirmed that sleep inference can make a person pack on the pounds. This study looked at 5700 middle-aged women and concluded that those with sleep disorders were far more likely to be overweight than their peers.
Another study at the University of Colorado had subjects only sleep 5 hours per night, and they put on an average of 2 pounds per week. [2]
So what is the tie to lack of sleep and weight gain? Researchers think it is because people tend to eat more when they are experiencing a lack of sleep. Hormone levels that affect people’s feeling of fullness and hunger can be out of whack with a lack of sleep, causing someone with sleep apnea to consume 550 excess calories per day, or more.
Read: 6 Natural Sleep Apnea Treatments
Having poor sleeping habits or sleep apnea can also make it more difficult for people to lose weight, causing them to lose less body fat, and instead lose lean muscle mass.
Being overweight in of itself can increase the risk of sleep apnea, making the vicious cycle even worse.
Studies, however, have shown that losing weight can actually reduce sleep apnea significantly. Losing just 10% of your excess weight can drop the severity of sleep apnea by as much as 30%, thus making it easier to lose weight and have a better night’s sleep.
If you think you have sleep apnea, speak to your doctor so that they can do further investigation and testing. This may actually help you shed pounds and not wake up feeling so groggy.
Sources:
[1] NOLA.com
[2] Pritikin
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