The answer to this question: "Whether to go to a sleep center for an evaluation or to will yourself into the newest weight loss plan?" can be the difference between living longer and healthier or suffering serious consequences from a lack of vital information.
If you are struggling with weight loss and the best weight loss and exercise plans are unable to give you the results that you and your doctor are looking for, perhaps the answer to healthy weight loss isn't so much what you put in your mouth, but rather how well you sleep? Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea may contribute not only to weight gain but also create tremendous difficulty in weight loss. Studies have shown that getting only 5-6 hours of sleep or more than 9 hours of sleep will put you at risk to gain weight. If you are getting less than 5 hours a night you are nearly twice as likely to become fat. Dealing with obesity is a national problem with many sufferers also struggling with other serious health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure.
When you don't get appropriate levels of quality sleep, levels of the hormone leptin, which sends a signal to the brain that you are full, become suppressed. Levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, also rise with lack of sleep. So now, because of your sleep deprivation, your body is telling you that you are both hungry and not full. It is a difficult combination to resist. That's when late night cookies or chips can do their damage. The next morning you have low energy and reach for a carbohydrate dense food and sweetened drink with caffeine to just wake up. So it continues day in and day out until obesity, diabetes and heart problems become your chronic health concern.
So you see the connection? Weight gain can be a symptom of poor sleep habits. And conversely, being over weight can create serious sleep disorders. Sleep apnea occurs when an individual's upper airway narrows or obstructs while they sleep. In mild cases it leads to snoring, but it can also cause high blood pressure, diabetes, and low blood oxygen levels. As you gain weight your neck size increases. This enhances the risk to suffer from sleep apnea. So here again the weight/sleep connection can dramatically effect your health.
It is important to understand the full extent of what is going on with your body when you sleep. And even more importantly, to realize what happens to your metabolism when you don't get enough sleep. The restorative nature of a quality night's sleep is not to be taken lightly. It can affect both the quality and length of your life.
So if you are having difficulty with weight loss and sleeping through the night, getting an evaluation by a sleep professional is the first step toward taking responsibility for a healthy weight loss plan. Information is power. And when you are talking about the quality of your health, more information is better. You may find out that solving your sleep problem is the best weight loss plan you can find. An easy way to see if you have a sleep problem is to take this free sleep risk assessment. In just a few minutes you can receive a personal report, which will let you know if you may have a sleep disorder. If so, see a sleep expert right away. Besides making weight loss easier, treating your sleep problem may save your life.