Sleep as a shield against excess weight

Healthy sleep is not only a guarantee of vigor and good mood, but also a key factor in the fight against excess weight. Modern research shows that a night's rest of nine hours can reduce the influence of genetic predisposition to obesity. This means that even if there is a tendency to be overweight in the family, a proper sleep schedule helps to minimize this risk.

More than a thousand pairs of twins participated in an experiment conducted by researchers from the University of Washington. It turned out that those who slept less than seven hours a day were more likely to be overweight. In contrast, participants with nine hours of sleep were in better shape. This indicates that sleep not only restores strength, but also interferes with the body's metabolic processes.

Scientists have also found that some genes responsible for the development of obesity are more active with a lack of sleep. These genes regulate how the body processes fat, how much energy it gets from it, how quickly the feeling of satiety sets in, and how glucose is utilized. Getting enough sleep helps the body manage these functions more effectively.

In addition to obesity, lack of sleep is associated with other serious health problems. In particular, it increases the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension. Even one extra hour of sleep loss every night for five years can increase the likelihood of blood pressure problems by 37%. Such data emphasizes how important it is to take care of the quality of sleep from a young age.

The modern lifestyle often deprives us of proper rest: gadgets, working until late at night, stress and a hectic rhythm. However, it is worth remembering that recuperation is a biological necessity, not a luxury. The body is able to compensate for a lot, but chronic sleep deficiency undermines health imperceptibly, but steadily.

Incorporating nine hours of sleep into your daily routine is a simple but powerful strategy for preventing not only obesity, but also a whole host of metabolic diseases. It turns out that maintaining a healthy body weight can be done not only through exercise and nutrition, but also, literally, in your sleep.