Lack of Sleep Associated with Increased Hunger, Obesity

Insufficient sleep is associated with a 33% increase in the hormones that control hunger, according to new research.

Sleeping less than the recommended 7 to 8 hours each night has been identified as a risk factor for obesity. However, this was the first study to examine endocannabinoids as a way to assess appetite and food intake.

To explore the association, researchers conducted a sleep study of 14 healthy volunteers in their 20s who participated in two 4-day observation periods.
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Participants slept an average of 7.5 hours per night during one of the observation period and had restricted sleep of an average 4.2 hours during the other observation period. They were given identical meals at 9AM, 2PM, and 7PM each day and were offered snack foods after the fourth night’s sleep.

Researchers also measured the levels of 2 endocannabinoid hormones: 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and 2-oleoylglycerol (2-OG).

After analyzing the data, researchers found that when participants had restricted sleep, they were more likely to report hunger and eat snacks.

When they assessed the hormone levels, researchers saw a 33% increase in 2-AG levels—which peaked around 2 p.m. and stayed high until 9 p.m.—after participants had restricted sleep.

“Our findings suggest that activation of the endocannabinoid system may be involved in excessive food intake in a state of sleep debt and contribute to the increased risk of obesity associated with insufficient sleep,” researchers concluded.

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Hanlon EC, Tasali E, Leproult R, et al. Sleep restriction enhances the daily rhythm of circulating levels of endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol. SLEEP. 2016;39(3):653-664. http://dx.doi.org/10.5665/sleep.5546.