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An interesting article about sleep from the University of Chicago (in print, so I'm transcribing this; please excuse typos):
"The typical American adult averages just under seven hours of sleep per day, significantly less than the 8.25 hours that sleep specialists regard as optimal for adults."
"Chronic sleep loss may hasten the onset of diabetes and impair the immune system, even in young adults, Van Cauter and colleagues reported in 1999 in The Lancet and in 2002 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Researchers elsewhere have shown chronic sleep loss also raises blood pressure. The effects of sleep loss, Van Cauter suggested, thus mimic key hallmarks of aging.
In the Lancet paper, Karine Spiegel, Rachael Leproult and Van Cauter described their study of 11 healthy young men in the lab. On the first three nights, the men spent eight hours in bed. The next six nights, the men stayed in bed only four hours. They then had a recovery week, spending 12 hours in bed to assure they were fully rested.
After being sleep-deprived for just six days, the men's ability to make use of insulin and metabolize glucose, the body's chief source of fuel, fell by about a third. These impairments in bodily function are early markers of diabetes, Van Cauter said, and can harm the heart and blood vessels. Although the men were in their 20s, their glucose response pattern was comparable to that of people over 60.
In computerized performance tests, the sleep-deprived subjects took longer to respond or failed to respond more often than they did when well rested. Their cortisol levels were higher than is normal in the afternoon and remained elevated through the evening, a possible trigger for memory problems. They also experienced changes in secretion of the hormone leptin that are known to put people at risk of gaining weight.
But all these symptoms of premature aging disappeared after the recovery week, when the men averaged nine hours sleep per night."
Later, they discuss the fact that as people get older, they experience less deep sleep. The brain will only secrete growth hormones during deep sleep, however, which makes researches wonder if this growth hormone is connected to aging. It is, as the article says, a tantalizing possibility.
Relating sleep loss to weight management once again, they mention:
"In current research, Van Cauter and colleagues are exploring the impact of sleep loss on hunger and appetite. findings so far, she said, show that people limited to four hours sleep always feel hungry and crave carbohydrate- and fat-rich foods. They also show changes in secretion of leptin and ghrelin, hormones that regulate hunger and appetite."
This all has implications for those of you who are trying to bulk up, too. The growth hormone I mentioned before? It's necessary to put on new muscle mass. So, in order to effectively lift weights, you need to get enough sleep.
"The typical American adult averages just under seven hours of sleep per day, significantly less than the 8.25 hours that sleep specialists regard as optimal for adults."
"Chronic sleep loss may hasten the onset of diabetes and impair the immune system, even in young adults, Van Cauter and colleagues reported in 1999 in The Lancet and in 2002 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Researchers elsewhere have shown chronic sleep loss also raises blood pressure. The effects of sleep loss, Van Cauter suggested, thus mimic key hallmarks of aging.
In the Lancet paper, Karine Spiegel, Rachael Leproult and Van Cauter described their study of 11 healthy young men in the lab. On the first three nights, the men spent eight hours in bed. The next six nights, the men stayed in bed only four hours. They then had a recovery week, spending 12 hours in bed to assure they were fully rested.
After being sleep-deprived for just six days, the men's ability to make use of insulin and metabolize glucose, the body's chief source of fuel, fell by about a third. These impairments in bodily function are early markers of diabetes, Van Cauter said, and can harm the heart and blood vessels. Although the men were in their 20s, their glucose response pattern was comparable to that of people over 60.
In computerized performance tests, the sleep-deprived subjects took longer to respond or failed to respond more often than they did when well rested. Their cortisol levels were higher than is normal in the afternoon and remained elevated through the evening, a possible trigger for memory problems. They also experienced changes in secretion of the hormone leptin that are known to put people at risk of gaining weight.
But all these symptoms of premature aging disappeared after the recovery week, when the men averaged nine hours sleep per night."
Later, they discuss the fact that as people get older, they experience less deep sleep. The brain will only secrete growth hormones during deep sleep, however, which makes researches wonder if this growth hormone is connected to aging. It is, as the article says, a tantalizing possibility.
Relating sleep loss to weight management once again, they mention:
"In current research, Van Cauter and colleagues are exploring the impact of sleep loss on hunger and appetite. findings so far, she said, show that people limited to four hours sleep always feel hungry and crave carbohydrate- and fat-rich foods. They also show changes in secretion of leptin and ghrelin, hormones that regulate hunger and appetite."
This all has implications for those of you who are trying to bulk up, too. The growth hormone I mentioned before? It's necessary to put on new muscle mass. So, in order to effectively lift weights, you need to get enough sleep.
