Benefits of Sleep for Weight Loss

Recent research conducted by the University of Michigan revealed that when children get more sleep, it may lower their risk of becoming obese. The November issue of the Pediatrics journal features the story about this study.

The benefits of sleep...

The bottom line is that researchers discovered that every additional hour of sleep that a 3rd grader enjoys will reduce the child's chance of becoming obese by the 6th grade by a significant 40 percent.

According to Dr. Julie Lumeng, leader of the University of Michigan research, no matter what the child's weight was in the 3rd grade, the less sleep they got the more likely they would be obese by the 6th grade. Children in the 3rd grade should get at least 9 hours and 45 minutes of sleep or more every night.

Endocrinologist Eve Van Cauter of the University of Chicago found that a lack of sleep plays havoc with the two hormones that are the "yin and yang of appetite regulation". VanCaulter found that sleep-deprived adults produce more ghrelin, the hormone that promotes hunger, and less leptin, which is the hormone that let you know you are full.

Clearly following the old-fashioned rules of a healthy diet and plenty of sleep should start when we are children and we should continue these positive behavior patterns through adulthood for maximum weight control.