Did you know that several hormones are related to sleep and weight control?

Four of the most common culprits are Leptin, Ghrelin, Insulin, and Cortisol. Here some ideas on how to activate them!

Leptin is a hormone mainly produced by fat cells in your intestines. An important role of Leptin is to tell your brain when you’re full and should stop eating. Sleep deprivation lowers your levels of Leptin, so you don’t receive the proper message that you had enough to eat.

Ghrelin is a hormone mainly produced by your gut. One of its functions is managing your drive to eat. Your Ghrelin levels decreases when you sleep, but if don’t get enough sleep its levels remain high. You may feel hungrier and crave high-fat and high-sugar foods during the day.

Insulin is a hormone produced by your pancreas. It regulates the level of sugar in your blood. Sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance. If your sugar is not processed properly into energy, it is likely to get stored as fat.

Cortisol is a stress hormone produced by your adrenal glands in a complex network involving your brain. Chronic stress may affect your sleep as it interferes with your circadian rhythm. Studies have found that excess cortisol increases insulin resistance, leading to obesity.

Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal health. When you are sleep deprived you are more likely to make bad decisions, be less active, choose junk food, and eat more calories per day.

Studies show a close relationship between sleep deprivation and obesity. In the last 10 years Americans decreased their hours of sleep and increased their weight. Obesity is complex and many factors play a role in weight gain. Sleep is one a key factor.

If you want to control your weight and have better health, start by sleeping 7-9 hours per night.

I have been helping patients with sleep issues for over 15 years. Contact me today for a consultation so we can work together to get you sleeping better.