Blogfinger

The New York Times (8/6, O’Connor, 1.68M) “Well” blog reported that according to the results of a 23-participant study published in the journal Nature Communications, sleep deprivation may result in weight gain, creating “pronounced changes” in the way high-calorie foods are perceived by the brain. Magnetic resonance imaging scans taken during the study indicated that lack of sleep impaired the area of the brain in charge of complex decision-making while increasing activity in reward-focused areas.

Also covering the story is the Huffington Post (8/7, Wilkey).

BLOGFINGER MEDICAL COMMENTARY: By Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC

I have been aware for some time that sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, promote increased caloric intake and weight gain, but the mechanism was unclear. But now there is much more that is known about this phenomenon. This particular study is a small one from UC Berkley.

It turns out that this phenomenon is complex. The most important event when sleeplessness occurs is that brain function changes. Areas that make us crave high caloric foods get stimulated while other areas that control rational decision making become suppressed. Also,  chemicals in the brain change along with hormones that affect appetite.  Population studies have shown that the less you sleep, the more overweight you will become.

Some people drink coffee to stay awake, and we now know that coffee blocks adenosine, a brain chemical that makes you sleepy.  But some people are not affected by coffee, so there must be an undiscovered reason for that.

So, if you need to lose weight, see if you are getting enough sleep.  I wonder if you can lose weight by taking naps during the day??   I think I’ll take a nap before I go to Days–then maybe I won’t crave that small hot fudge sundae with rocky road ice cream, extra fudge and whipped cream. Maybe I’ll just get a short-shot sundae…..really?  No, they can’t take that away from me.

SAM COOKE