Does the time shift promote weight gain?

We have done it! The often discussed and even more often perceived annoying and troublesome time shift lies behind us. The night from 26th to 27th of March had an hour less, getting up one hour earlier was necessary. But, our inner clock and our body are not just as easily and quickly to change. Here, consistent sleep hygiene is essential! And, when you already have started to go to bed earlier and get up the same time earlier -– little but steadily — as well as to clearly turn back lighting and activity before the change you will easier and faster cope with the unpleasant transition period. Like this, the lack of sleep incl. its side effects will be kept within limits.

The two hormones ghrelin and leptin are directly connected with our appetite and therewith with our food intake. During sleeping, the appetite suppressant leptin is prevailing, as soon as we wake up the appetizing hormone ghrelin takes over. This means that the less we sleep the bigger our appetite is.

This known fact led scientists of the University of California to researches about the connection of chronical sleep disturbances and overweight. At first, the findings were surprising: for the full duration of the night the participants who suffered under sleep disturbances showed compared with healthy sleepers a 30 % lower level of ghrelin, the leptin level remained the same. Viewed in isolation this would lead to the conclusion that people with sleep disturbances and a therewith associated lack of sleep eat less due to its lower level of ghrelin and therewith would have to lose weight.

But, when connecting this finding with findings of earlier studies the picture changes: during day-time people with chronical sleep disturbances have a massively fluctuating level of these two hormones. The ghrelin-level is considerably increased, the leptin-level on the other hand decreased. According to lead investigator Motivala this is an indication for the quick change in the hormonal balance of sleep disturbed people: lack of appetite and ravenous appetite are abruptly turning. Since we tend to unhealthy and fatty food when suffering under lack of sleep a weight gain is inevitable.

Out of this reason it is important to pay close attention to your eating behavior, as well. In doing so, you are not only preventing an undesired weight gain but you are also supporting your body in the necessary change to summer time.

This post is also available in / Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch in: German