How much sleep do you need every night to help prevent weight gain?

In one study, researchers found people who received only four hours sleep a night for two nights experienced:

28% increase in Ghrelin (a hormone that triggers hunger)
18% reduction in Leptin (the hormone that tells your brain there is no need for more food)

Also, the sleep-deprived subjects in the study seemed to eat more sweet and starchy foods, rather than vegetables and dairy products. Researchers suspected these cravings stemmed from the fact that your brain is fueled by glucose (blood sugar); therefore, when lack of sleep occurs, your brain searches for carbohydrates.

In short, sleep deprivation puts your body into a pre-diabetic state, and makes you feel hungry, even if you've already eaten.

A new study also found that sleep habits directly influence weight gain around your abdominal area. This is the type of fat linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes and other chronic diseases, so it's a matter that goes way beyond aesthetics.

Sleep too much is also a risk factor for weight gain, and this may be due to a less active lifestyle or even depression. One study showed that people who slept for nine or 10 hours every night were 21 percent more likely to become obese over a six-year period.

SO HOW MUCH SLEEP IS JUST RIGHT?

Studies suggest that healthy adults need seven to eight hours sleep each night. However, if you haven't been sleeping well and have accumulated a sleep debt, you may still feel tired or even if you've slept a full seven or eight hours one night.

Once you have a sleep debt, especially one that's the result of chronic sleep deprivation, it can be difficult to catch up, so the key is to try and get enough sleep so that you feel well-rested in the morning on most (if not every) night of the week.

Source: www.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/16/poor-sleep-habits-lead-to-fat-gain.aspx Accessed on 6/08/2010