We’re almost a month into 2019 and so far your resolutions are holding. You’re trying to eat healthier, cut out the sugar, and exercise regularly. You’re feeling fit and motivated, so what’s wrong with the scale? As it turns out, although diet and exercise are incredibly important for your weight loss, mental health, and physical health, so is something else you might be lacking: sleep. Sleep is one of the most important functions of your body, and should be prioritized when it comes to losing weight or even making good decisions. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when we’re starved for sleep, we also become starved for carbs and sugar.
Even if you’re not breaking your diet, lack of sleep can affect your body, as well, jeopardizing your metabolism.
The Role Of Sleep In Weight Loss
When you sleep poorly, it’s not just you that feels annoyed. Your fat cells do too. University of Chicago researchers who analyzed patients after four days of poor sleep found some interesting results when looking into the hormones which control fat cells and metabolism. They coined to term “Metabolic grogginess,” to describe it. With just four days of poor sleep, insulin levels and insulin sensitivity become disrupted. Insulin controls the removal of fatty acids and lipids from the bloodstream, but when disrupted, it can lead to the storage of fat in the wrong places, such as the tissues of your liver.
I Can’t Get Enough Sleep
So maybe you’ve been going to bed at a reasonable hour, getting around 7-8 hours a night. Why do you still feel tired? If you’ve been suffering from daytime fatigue, frequent headaches, or have received complaints from your partner about snoring, chances are high you may be suffering from mild to severe sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by frequent pauses during the body’s natural breathing cycle during sleep. While our body naturally pauses breathing during sleep, if this occurs above a certain threshold, it can begin to affect the blood-oxygen levels, which signals the body to momentarily wake up and breath normally. This happens without our knowledge and can affect the brain’s ability to reach REM, leaving you feeling tired, regardless of the amount of sleep you receive.
Worse than the possibility of weight gain, sleep apnea can actually increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, or diabetes. If you suspect your might have sleep apnea, schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Your Dentist Can Help
If you snore regularly or have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, your dentist can help. Your dentist can provide you with alternative sleep apnea treatments to a CPAP machine, in the form of a small and convenient oral appliance designed to keep your airways open. This can help to stop your snoring and have you feel better rested during the day.
Remember that sleep apnea is a potentially deadly disease, especially if left untreated for a long period of time. If you suffer from any of the common sleep apnea symptoms, it’s important that you get the sleep apnea treatment you need to ensure that you are healthy not only at night but for the rest of your life. For help with sleep apnea in the West Nyack, NY area, be sure to contact our Rockland County sleep dentist at (845) 627-7645.
