We all read about it so apparently, the words of specialists may be able to convince us that sleep loss actually contributes to obesity and weight gains that has been a glaring problem these days. Medical studies performed in the past few years are revealing that sleep loss can contribute to weight gain.

“It interferes with our circadian rhythms and with the way we regulate our hormones,” William Kohler, medical director of the Florida Sleep Institute, says.

There are two hormones that affect the appetite: Leptin and Ghrelin. Leptin communicates that “full feeling,” and when working correctly, suppresses the appetite. Ghrelin communicates the need for more food to keep energy levels up.

When people do not get enough sleep, both hormones are thrown out of whack. Their Leptin goes down, making them feel less satisfied – even when they have had enough food; and their Ghrelin goes up, stimulating the appetite.

“Often, I hear people say they didn’t sleep well, and they were eating just to stay awake. It may be these hormones playing a role,” James P. Krainson, medical director of the South Florida Sleep Diagnostic Center, says.

Something as simple as a mattress replacement may be the answer.

A poor-quality mattress – unsuited to the person’s body type – is guaranteed to reduce the amount and quality of sleep. This, in turn, could increase the amount of pounds on the body.

Sit ‘n Sleep, the largest mattress retailer in Southern California, is the only retailer in the region to offer a unique, sleep diagnostic center to its customers. At the center, a diagnostic machine makes more than 17,000 calculations to match sleepers with an optimal mattress type.

(Source) Press

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While the search for natural means of getting sleep is a need, it seems that there is one that is causing nightmares rather than restful slumber. Valerian, a herbal sleep aid commonly used by those who want an alternative to prescription sedatives, has been linked to serious side effects.

Health Canada said it has received more than 30 reports of adverse reactions, including hallucinations and nightmares, linked to valerian from 2003 to 2008. The department also warned in a quarterly adverse-reaction newsletter that some medical studies have found an association between valerian and hallucinations, delirium and cardiac complications.

Such an occurrence has indeed been bad for the natural aids of getting sleep. But if there is some retraction on this claim it is that there is lack of proper statistics to be used for reference to which these claims can be backed up.

(Source) Globe and Mail

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