Can Sleep Deprivation Cause Obesity?

By Ria Shah

Antza, Christina, et al. “The Links between Sleep Duration, Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.” Journal of Endocrinology, vol. 252, no. 2, 1 Feb. 2022, pp. 125–141, joe.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/joe/252/2/JOE-21-0155.xml, https://doi.org/10.1530/joe-21-0155.

Introduction:

Global rates of obesity are rising alarmingly in every country over the past few decades. In the past this was seen primarily in first world countries, but it has now spread to second and third world countries as well. At the same time, there is a rising prevalence of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea. This study was conducted in order to find out whether there is a correlation between sleep duration and obesity, and how sleep duration can be manipulated as a prevention and treatment for obesity. 

What is obesity:

Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization as the abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. Despite new pharmacological treatments, increased awareness and policies such as the sugar tax, global rates of adult obesity increased from 4.7% to 13.1% between 1975 and 2016. Obesity is influenced by several uncontrollable factors such as genetics, metabolism and hormones, however its main cause is elevated calorie intake. Obesity can lead to cardiovascular diseases (such as coronary heart disease and strokes), type II diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and certain cancers like breast cancer.

Recommended Sleep Duration

It is recommended that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. However, most adults get less than 7 hours on average. Apart from obesity, lower duration of sleep is also associated with a higher risk of cancer and lower immunity. It can also cause conditions of the skin which can increase skin wrinkling, fine lines and looseness. Further, sleep deprivation is a leading cause of road accidents and has a negative impact on memory and cognition. 

Considerations:

The subjects of this study self-reported their duration of sleep. However in order to verify the accuracy of the results, the authors of the research paper used modern technology to assess the shortcomings of self reported sleep duration. In a study of over 5000 people, more than half reported higher sleep than was measured via actigraphy (a wearable sleep test that tracks movements). There was also a higher correlation between more accurate self reported sleep duration in females and younger people. This result was kept in mind during the study of the effect of sleep deprivation on obesity and was used to adjust the data as all sleep durations used in the study were self reported.

Conclusion:

The study lasted over 10 years and tested adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years. The data shows that there is an increased risk of obesity with lower sleep duration. The shorter the sleep duration, the higher the risk of obesity. The relative increased risk for obesity was 1.09% for 1 hour decrease in sleep duration. Over the course of the study, the group that continued to sleep short hours had the greatest increase in BMI, while the group that increased its hours of sleep showed a smaller increase in BMI and fat mass. 

Additionally, as the subjects attempted to lose weight, those who slept shorter hours had 0.72 kg less weight loss per year as compared to those who slept longer hours. Hence, sleeping longer hours decreases the risk of obesity and positively affects weight loss interventions.  

Works cited

Antza, Christina, et al. “The Links between Sleep Duration, Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.” Journal of Endocrinology, vol. 252, no. 2, 1 Feb. 2022, pp. 125–141, joe.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/joe/252/2/JOE-21-0155.xml, https://doi.org/10.1530/joe-21-0155.

Marcin, Ashley. “10 Things That Happen to Your Body When You Lose Sleep.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 10 June 2015, www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-lose-sleep#thinking.

Mayo Clinic. “Obesity.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic, 22 July 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/symptoms-causes/syc-20375742.

MedlinePlus. “Sleep Disorders.” Medlineplus.gov, National Library of Medicine, 2018, medlineplus.gov/sleepdisorders.html.