There has been a growing number of research studies that say that sleep loss and obesity are linked. These studies suggest poor sleep quality is associated with an increased risk of obesity by deregulating appetite, which makes one consume more calories. But is that really the case? Does poor sleep quality really cause obesity? A study recently published in PLOS Biology suggests that we might have it reversed.
It's not the sleep loss that leads to obesity, but rather that excess weight can cause poor sleep, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and the University of Nevada, Reno, who discovered their findings in the microscopic worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).
"We think that sleep is a function of the body trying to conserve energy in a setting where energetic levels are going down. Our findings suggest that if you were to fast for a day, we would predict you might get sleepy because your energetic stores would be depleted," said study co-author David Raizen, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Neurology and member of the Chronobiology and Sleep Institute at Penn.
These findings in worms, however, may not directly translate to humans, but this could help us explain why people with obesity experience issues with sleep.
More details about this study over at EurekAlert.
(Image Credit: University of Nevada, Reno)
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