Dr. Amen of Change Your Brain, Change Your Body

I am often fascinated by the insight Dr. Amen offers through his newsletters. Here is an except on sleep from his August 31, 2010 newsletter:

Lose Sleep, Gain Weight

You probably thought that your cravings for candy and cookies were just a sign of mental weakness and a lack of willpower on your part. You may be wrong. An expanding body of evidence has shown that sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain and obesity.

According to a study from the University of Chicago, people who are sleep-deprived eat more simple carbohydrates than people who get adequate sleep. The researchers studied twelve healthy men in their twenties and found that when the men slept only four hours a night, they were more likely to choose candy, cookies, and cake over fruit, vegetables, or dairy products.

For this study, which appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers also looked at two hormones—leptin and ghrelin—that are regulated by sleep and involved in appetite. Leptin and ghrelin work together to control feelings of hunger and satiety. Ghrelin levels rise to signal the brain that you are hungry, then leptin levels increase to tell your brain when you are full.

The researchers measured the levels of leptin and ghrelin before the study, after two nights of only four hours of sleep, and after two nights of ten hours of sleep. After four hours of sleep, the ratio of ghrelin jumped 71 percent, compared to a night when the men slept for the longer period of time. This made the men feel hungrier and drove them to consume more simple carbohydrates.

Eating simple carbs sends blood sugar levels skyrocketing then plummeting, which lowers overall brain function, saps energy, and lowers impulse control. That can make you even more inclined to reach for the Oreos.

5 Tips for Better Sleep

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule — going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each day, including on weekends. Get up at the same time each day regardless of sleep duration the previous night.
• Create a soothing nighttime routine that encourages sleep. A warm bath, meditation, or massage can help you relax.
• Some people like to read themselves to sleep. If you are reading, make sure it isn’t an action-packed thriller or a horror story — they aren’t likely to help you drift off to sleep.
• Don’t take naps! This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make if you have insomnia. Taking naps when you feel sleepy during the day compounds the nighttime sleep cycle disruption.
• Consider taking natural supplements that promote restful sleep, including melatonin, valerian, GABA, magnesium, and vitamin B6.

You can find more tips for more restful sleep in my book Change Your Brain, Change Your Body.
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