You know the feeling you get when you learn something new about a health problem you've been trying to reverse

Maybe high blood pressure diabetes heart disease. Well, there's nothing I like better than bringing you the information that will help you do

Just that welcome to the Nutrition Facts podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Greger

Today we discover the health benefits of sleep and we start with a connection between the lack of sleep and weight gain

Population studies have found short sleep duration has been associated with obesity in both children and adults

Observational studies can never prove cause and effect though

Maybe the obesity is leading to sleep loss instead of the other way around

Obesity can cause arthritis as reflux and apnea all which can interfere with sleep

The relationship between obesity and sleep apnea where your breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night

Maybe explained by increased tongue fat fat deposited inside the base of the tongue that may contribute to obstructing your airway when you sleep on your back

The reverse causation explanation of the link between obesity and inadequate sleep is bolstered by the finding that weight loss interventions can improve daytime sleepiness

potential confounding factors also abound for example people with lower socio-economic status often work less desirable hours such as

Rotating or overnight shifts or may live in noisier neighborhoods with poorer air quality more crime

The link between inadequate sleep and obesity persists after controlling for these kinds of factors

But you can't control for everything you can't know for sure if sleep deprivation leads to weight gain

Into you put it to the test

Have people pulling all nighter and they get hungry and choose larger portions randomize people to shave even just a few hours to sleep off every night

They start eating an average of 677 calories more a day compared to the normal sleep control group

Other individual responses vary widely anywhere from eating 813 calories less per day to as many as

1437 calories more on average studies found sleep deprivation led people to overeat by about 180 to 560 calories a day

We're strict people sleep and they also start craving unhealthier choices more snacks more foods that are fatty and sugary

Stick people in a brain scanner after staying awake all nighter after a few nights of four hour sleep and their reward pathways

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