Sleep Habits Linked to Obesity: How Important Is That 8 Hours a Night?

Everybody has trouble sleeping now and then. An occasional night with only a few hours of ZZZZs is probably not going to hurt anyone, but most people function better on seven or eight hours of sleep per night. And that sleep does more than just make you feel rested. In fact, the lack of sleep effects hormone levels, the appearance of skin and hair, depression, and even our heart health and cholesterol levels.

While many studies have found obesity and other health problems in those who do not get enough sleep, the flip side is that those who get too much sleep actually suffer from the same conditions. A new government study, one of the largest ever done on the effects of sleep, shows a link between irregular sleep and big bellies. (Irregular sleep was rated as less than six hours or more than nine a night.) Light sleepers also had higher smoking rates, less exercise and more alcohol use.

The recently released study, done by the National Center for Health Statistics, was conducted with door-to-door surveys of 87,000 U.S. adults from 2004 to 2006. This research confirms findings from previous studies that have found obesity and other health problems in those who don't get proper shuteye according to Dr. Ron Kramer, a Colorado physician and a spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Smoking and alcohol use had higher percentages for the lightest and heaviest sleepers. Obesity results were higher in the same categories, but not as dramatic. Thirtythree percent of those who sleep less than six hours were obese, and 26 percent of those who slept nine or more hours per night were obese. Those who regularly slept seven or eight hours per night were the thinnest with obesity at 22 percent. For alcohol use, those who slept the least were the biggest drinkers. However, alcohol use for those who slept seven to eight hours and those who slept nine hours or more was similar.

More than half of individuals who slept nine or more hours each night were apt to be physically inactive in their leisure time. This was much higher than light sleepers and regular sleepers. Existing health problems that make exercise difficult may account for the large percentage of inactivity in those who slept more than nine hours per night.

The May 1 issue of the journal Sleep contained a study of publications on the relationship between short sleep duration and obesity. This clearly underlined the fact that children from 2 to 19 years suffer the same results of short sleep duration and obesity as adults.

In recent years obesity has been among the most talked about health problems. There are increasing numbers of adults considered overweight, and the number of obese children is also rising. About 17 percent of American children from 2 to 19 are considered overweight. Almost 61 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 to 74 years are overweight or obese. The health issues of 50 million obese people have or will put a strain on public health dollars and health care facilities.

Healthy eating and regular exercise have always been considered to be essential to weight control, but a good night's sleep may be just as important. Besides increased stress, relationship issues, and work problems, lack of sleep can cause additional risks. Australian studies last year showed that in half of car crashes the driver may have been sleepy or suffering from a sleep related disorder.

If you are one of the many people who have trouble sleeping there are doctors who specialize in sleep disorders. They can help determine if there is an underlying health cause, or if the condition is probably an environmental issue. Sleep is important to human physical well being. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor for help.