Sleep Loss = Weight Gain?

Recent studies indicate that chronic sleep deprivation may be a cause of weight gain. Wha?!? If you’re asleep how can you burn calories!?! How can that be??

Apparently the culprit is in appetite hormones. Leptin is a hormone that increases energy expenditure and regulates hunger. High levels of this hormone give you a feeling of being full, while low levels makes you feel, well, hungry! Sleep loss lowers leptin levels, in turn causing an increase in hunger. Another hormone is grehlin, which triggers hunger. In separate studies, people who consistently slept five hours or less per night had an increase of from 15 to 18 percent reduction in leptin levels, and 15 to 28 percent increase in ghrelin.

So . . . I’m not hungry! I’m sleepy!! Excuse me while I go take a nap!