Professor reveals sleep deprivation linked to weight gain
An academic has spoken of the link between lack of sleep and mental health problems, cardiovascular disease and weight gain.Professor Nick Glozier, lead author of a study into sleep deprivation by the George Institute for Global Health, suggested that not enough sleep can lead to serious health issues.
He said: "There is fairly consistent evidence that insufficient sleep increases risk of cardiovascular illness, and can lead to weight gain in young people."
Professor Glozier said that while lifestyle changes may be a factor in these problems, "disrupted sleep patterns" were a "major contributor" to mental health issues in particular.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University presented research at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in 2006 which linked poor sleep to weight gain.
The study of nearly 70,000 women revealed that those who slept for five hours or less a night weighed 2.5kg more than participants who got a minimum of seven hours sleep a night.
