December 3rd, 2006


'Sleep Diet?' article from WebMD

The article's about connections between less (and/or lower quality) sleep and hormones that affect sensations of hunger and fullness.

"How Hormones Affect Your Sleep:  Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of 'checks and balances' system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD. . . Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.

So what's the connection to sleep? 'When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food,' Breus tells WebMD.

The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain."

i found the section 'link between sleep apnea and weight' quite interesting as well, although i don't suffer from sleep apnea.

entire article available here.

the studies mentioned in this article seem to have involved dieters and non-dieters, people with a range of average weights as well as obese people. but i wonder if and how this info would apply to people with eating disorders. 
if one is anorexic, she may sleep less than 8 hours/night as her body is in an alert / starving state and what might the leptin and ghrelin levels in her body typically be, i'd like to know. and how do they affect how she feels. perhaps any effect they'd have is secondary to what else is going on with her body. (i'm just speculating!) 
and as a recovering bulimic, i wonder if, when i used to b/p late into the night and then sleep in, my hormone levels had anything to do with the fact that it was sometimes so easy not to eat for the first few hours i was awake (but then finally i'd be hungry for a meal and maybe later, another bingefest... hello, vicious cycle).
discussion, anyone?

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