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Metabolic health in humans is dependent on a mixture of behavioral factors and genetic predisposition. Dietary habits and physical activity are both known to influence our metabolism, and previous studies have also shown that some metabolic-related problems, such as disturbed glucose metabolism and obesity, are provoked by a loss of sleep.
By Dr. Mercola
A majority of Americans are not getting enough sleep, and modern technology is in large part to blame. According to the 2014 Sleep in America Poll, 53 percent of respondents who turn electronics off while sleeping rate their sleep as excellent, compared to just 27 percent of those who leave their devices on.
Even children are becoming sleep deprived. The poll shows that 58 percent of teens aged 15-17 get only seven hours of sleep or less per night. Between 7 and 8 hours may be optimal for the average adult, but children are known to need more sleep than adults.
If your child is overweight and/or exhausted much of the time, chances are high that poor sleep patterns—perhaps resulting from too many light-emitting gadgets—are at play.
The exposure to excessive amounts of light at night, courtesy of electric light bulbs and electronic gadgets of all kinds, makes it exceedingly difficult for your body and brain to wind down for sleep. And this lack of sleep, in turn, can have far ranging health consequences, regardless of your age.
Poor Sleep Worsens Metabolic Disorders
According to recent research poor sleep could have a significant bearing on metabolic disorders such as obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. The authors suggest that addressing your sleeping habits may be key for both the prevention and treatment of these disorders. As reported by Medical News Today:
“The reason why metabolic disorders are so influenced by sleep patterns seems to be due to sleep influencing the body's ability to control food intake, metabolize glucose and maintain energy balance.
The new study reviews this existing evidence and makes recommendations for new targets and strategies in the prevention and treatment of these sleep-related forms of metabolic disease.
Among the findings, the review found that disruption of the body's natural sleep cycle—as experienced by shift workers—has a pronounced link with suffering metabolic health, as well as rates of chronic illness and early death.”
These authors also blame our declining sleep hygiene on the use of electronic devices such as tablets, portable video games, TVs, and smart phones in the evening.
Another study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that infants who sleep less eat more, which places them at increased risk of future obesity and related health problems. Infants who, at the age of 16 months, slept less than 10 hours per day ate an average of 10 percent more calories than those who slept for at least 13 hours daily. According to Dr. Abi Fisher of the Health Behavior Research Centre at UCL:
“Previous studies in adults and older children have shown that sleep loss causes people to eat more, but in early life parents make most of the decisions about when and how much their children eat, so young children cannot be assumed to show the same patterns.
The key message here is that shorter sleeping children may be prone to consume too many calories. Although more research is needed to understand why this might be, it is something parents should be made aware of.”
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