According to CTV Globe Media, sleep apnea is tied to obesity. Wow, really! Breaking news this is not, but still good to get the word out there and generate support for more reserch. If 1 in 5 Canadians suffer from sleep apnea, then there should be much more money headed for sleep research in the near future. From CTV:

It’s well known that the severity of sleep apnea is tied to obesity and that obese individuals are more likely to consume more fat and cholesterol. But this new study revealed that severe sleep apnea symptoms affected a person’s food intake regardless of body weight.

Previous studies suggest that sleepiness and fatigue influence dietary intake by altering hormones that regulate appetite, which can lead to overeating and weight gain.

The Quebec Family Study, published earlier this year, followed 276 adults and found that short sleepers (five to six hours a night) were 35 per cent more likely than average sleepers (seven to eight hours a night) to experience an 11-pound weight gain over six years.

Sleep deprivation - even in people without sleep apnea - is thought to increase production of ghrelin, the hormone that tells us we’re hungry, and decrease production of leptin, the hormone that tells us we’re full.

read the rest here

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