April 2, 2024 • 18 mins
Welcome to Season 2 of the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast!
You’ve probably heard through the years that you should strive to get around 8 hours of sleep per night. But do you know why? Do you know that lack of sleep can not only affect your overall health and wellness but can also impact your waistline?
Studies have shown that the average American adult gets less than 7 hours of sleep per night; 30% of Adults have symptoms of Insomnia or trouble sleeping; and while you may be known for snoring the paint off the walls, studies estimate that as many as 80% of people with obstructive sleep apnea are undiagnosed with this particular disorder that can lead to some serious health concerns.
On today’s episode of the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast, Dr. Shayla Toombs-Withers will be spilling “The Tea On Why You Need To Snooze To Lose”.
Synopsis
- Develop an understanding of the stages of sleep and which are particularly most important
- Discover how much sleep you should actually be getting and the age variances of our sleep needs
- Get informed on the hormones that contribute to weight gain and that are regulated by sleep
- Learn how to recognize if you have a sleep disorder contributing to lack of sleep and weight gain
- Get the “sleepy time tea” on practical strategies to improve your sleep and promote healthy weight management
Connect with Essence of Health:
– Join the FREE Nourish & Flourish 5 Day Challenge at www.DrShayla.com/NFchallenge
–Learn more about Essence of Health Wellness Clinic & Coaching at www.DrShayla.com/EOH
–Submit a question to our "Ask The Expert" segment of this podcast so that you can get my opinion on your questions related to plant based nutrition, health and wellness.
Submit your questions for this segment here: https://essenceofhealth.link/ask-the-expert
–Click the SUBSCRIBE button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a moment of the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast!
–Get your FREE "Healthy Tips For A Healthy Lifestyle" Guide to get you started on your health and wellness path. https://essenceofhealth.link/e-book
–Follow Dr. Shayla on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and at DrShayla on TikTok.
The Essence of Health is in You!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast.
(00:12):
I am your host, Dr. Shayla Toons-Whithers.
As a double board certified family and obesity medicine physician with over 12 years of experience
in medicine, I teach motivated individuals how to achieve their desired quality of life
while preventing and reversing chronic diseases.
(00:33):
It's tea time!
What part of your health journey is most challenging?
Is it the actual effort of sticking to a plan?
The cooking and the meal planning?
The exercise routine?
Not enough time for everything you think you need to do?
Or the confusion of it all?
(00:54):
If you said yes to any of these obstacles, then keep listening to learn how you can smash
these problems just by checking your email.
You check your email inbox every day already, but what if checking your inbox brought you
better health instead of the stress it sometimes can bring?
Well, I have news for you.
(01:15):
You can improve your health, get a jump start on improving your health conditions, and start
to feel like a better version of you just by checking your email inbox over the next
5 days when you join the free Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge.
You'll get health tips, actionable videos, a goal and habit tracker, and healthy recipes
(01:38):
every day for 5 days.
Better health is the best investment you'll ever make, and this is only a small investment
of your time.
You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
The Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge was designed to set the foundation for healthy
habits for life.
(01:59):
Say yes to yourself today and sign up now at drshayla.com forward slash nfchallenge.
I'll also place these details in the show notes.
The essence of health is in you.
See you in your inbox.
I'm excited to announce that our group metabolic coaching program, the Mind-Body Balance Collective,
(02:20):
has started, and we're ready for you to come and join us.
Within this monthly program, we'll work together to not only develop your personalized plan
to improve your condition of insulin resistance, lower your blood sugar, lose weight, re-energize
your body, and keep you feeling your best self, but we'll also get you off of that
(02:42):
bad diet hamster will for good by giving you a sustainable plan that actually works within
your busy schedule to keep you in good health.
And best of all, you'll be amongst a safe, encouraging group of cheerleaders there to
support you along the way.
The Mind-Body Balance Collective is where you want to be.
(03:02):
Head on over to drshayla.com forward slash mvbc to enroll now, and let's get started
today.
It's tea time.
You've probably heard through the years that you should strive to get around eight hours
of sleep per night, but do you know why?
Do you know that lack of sleep can not only affect your overall health and wellness, but
(03:24):
can also impact your waistline?
Studies have shown that the average American adult gets less than seven hours of sleep
per night.
30% of adults have symptoms of insomnia or trouble sleeping, and sleep disorders like
sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy affect a significant number of Americans further
(03:47):
disrupting sleep.
While we know there are multiple contributing factors to why you may or may not be getting
enough sleep, on today's episode, I'll be spilling the tea on why you need to snooze
to lose, highlighting the connection that sleep has to our weight and its vital importance
in weight management.
(04:07):
Let's start our discussion today by delving into the facts about sleep and our sleep cycles.
Our bodies are finely tuned machines and operate on a natural rhythm or our internal clock
known as the circadian rhythm.
Their circadian rhythm helps to regulate our sleep-wake cycle, meaning your body's own
way of knowing when you should be asleep and when you should be awake.
(04:32):
Circadian rhythms are mostly affected by light and darkness and are controlled by a small
area in the middle of your brain.
They can affect sleep, body temperature, hormones, appetite, and other bodily functions.
Normal circadian rhythms may be linked to obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder,
(04:54):
seasonal affective disorder, and sleep disorders such as insomnia.
Now, during a typical night's sleep, we progress through several stages of sleep, including
light sleep, deep sleep, and REM or rapid eye movement sleep.
REM sleep or REM sleep is where our vivid dreams occur.
(05:17):
Within a normal sleep cycle, you may actually spend about two hours per night within the
REM cycle dreaming.
However, most of our sleep occurs within the non-REM cycles of sleep, as this encompasses
75% of our sleep cycle.
Our deepest stage of sleep within the non-REM cycles is considered to be the most critical
(05:40):
because this is the stage when the body repairs and regrows tissues, builds bone and muscle,
and strengthens our immune system.
Studies have shown that when individuals are awakened during this deepest sleep stage, they
tend to have moderately impaired mental performance for 30 minutes to an hour.
So just imagine the impact of this occurring every day.
(06:03):
Now, keep listening to this tea.
Each stage of sleep plays a vital role in the restorative processes of your brain and
body, healthy cognitive function, and overall health and wellness.
Remedies to these cycles can have significant implications for our well-being.
So at this point, you may be wondering, well, how much sleep should I be getting?
(06:25):
Well, I'm glad you asked.
The answer to this question is actually a bit more complex than you may have anticipated
as the amount of sleep needed, it'll change based upon the age of the individual.
Newborns within the first three months of life will need and get 14 to 17 hours of sleep
(06:45):
per day.
Just think of that little as newborn sleeping the day away.
Their brains are working in overdrive for their growth and development.
Infants within that first year of life will need about 12 to 16 hours of sleep per day,
including naps.
Toddlers of one to two years old will need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep per day.
(07:06):
This also includes naps.
Preschool-age children aged three to five years old will need about 10 to 13 hours of
sleep per day, also including naps.
I have three kids and I know from that point of them going from preschool into school,
then they start cutting that nap out, even if they're in school.
(07:27):
So school-age children aged six to 12 years old will need about nine to 12 hours per day,
which is why those bedtime routines and bedtime schedules are so important at this age.
Teens aged 13 to 18 years old will need about eight to 10 hours per day.
Adults over 18 years old, yes, that's you who's likely listening today, so listen up.
(07:51):
You'll need about seven to nine hours of sleep per day or night.
And this can even vary a bit more for aging adults over the age of 70, but you get the
gist.
Get some sleep.
Now, get this tea on the hormonal imbalances that occur with poor quality sleep and how
this may be impacting your weight.
(08:12):
As a board-certified obesity medicine specialist, I can confidently tell you that obesity is
far more complex than a balance of calories in and calories out.
I invite you to refer back and take a listen to the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast
Season 1, Episode 9 on the tea about the complexities of obesity, where I spill the tea regarding
(08:35):
multiple factors that contribute to obesity beyond the balance of nutrition and exercise.
If you're frustrated with your weight, taking more medications than you'd like to, have
been told that you are at risk for the development of a chronic preventable disease, or just
are not feeling in the best of health, then I'm talking to you.
(08:56):
Why?
Because you're tired of fat dieting, you know it's time for a change, and you want a sustainable
plan to improve your health.
If you have found yourself at this place in life, well, I have developed a program that's
just for you.
It's called The Essence of Health, and it's your prescription for transformation.
(09:16):
My goal with this program is to give you the tools needed to create sustainable lifestyle
changes within a group coaching setting, along with one-to-one individualized coaching to
give you a personalized path to help that's just for you.
The benefits are priceless, so join today.
Head on over to eohcoaching.com to learn more.
(09:41):
The Essence of Health is in you.
Now, as we are discussing why you need to snooze to lose, sleep is also another very
important factor that plays a part in weight management in the condition of obesity.
Poor quality sleep and lack of sleep is a risk factor for obesity.
(10:01):
Lack of sleep and poor quality sleep promote a hormonal imbalance within your body that
contributes to overeating and weight gain.
Two hormones identified in this connection are the hormones leptin and ghrelin.
Leptin is the hormone that signals to the brain that you're full, not hungry.
Due to the way leptin functions, it helps to regulate our appetite and our energy balance.
(10:24):
Ghrelin, on the other hand, is known as the hunger hormone.
It was explained to me when I was in obesity medicine training to think of ghrelin like
growling, you know, when your tummy's growling because you're hungry.
So, ghrelin is the hunger hormone, as it stimulates your appetite and promotes increased food
intake and promotes the storage of fat within your body.
(10:45):
Now, when you don't get enough sleep, the balance between these hormones becomes out
of whack, causing an increase in the levels of ghrelin, which translate to being more
hungry and decreased levels of leptin, so you're not feeling as full or satisfied,
thereby promoting weight gain.
Think about those times when you may have pulled an all-nighter for work or for school.
(11:08):
You'll typically grab a snack because this hormonal balance is out of whack.
This is also why, within the Essence of Health coaching programs, we practice mindfulness.
One aspect of being mindful is to actually challenge your brain and the thought processes
that you are experiencing.
For example, if you've already eaten dinner and you're suddenly feeling the need for a
(11:30):
snack, think about why and what you're actually feeling.
Are you actually hungry?
Are you actually bored?
Are you feeling stressed or anxious?
Are you sleepy?
Often when you practice mindfulness and delve a bit deeper to evaluate your thoughts and
feelings, you may decide that you didn't eat that snack after all.
(11:51):
Another critical role sleep plays in our health is for metabolic regulation.
Studies have shown that inadequate sleep impairs our body's ability to regulate blood sugar
levels and insulin sensitivity.
This, in turn, places you at risk for insulin resistance conditions like prediabetes, diabetes,
polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS, metabolic syndrome, and chronic obesity.
(12:16):
And if you already have diabetes, lack of sleep can make it even more challenging to
manage your condition and get your diabetes under control.
Here are a few hormonal and metabolic reasons that play a part in this occurrence.
One is cortisol, the stress hormone.
Cortisol is increased when you are deprived of sleep.
(12:37):
Calc, in turn, increases your blood sugar, which also, in turn, increases your risk for
those insulin resistance conditions I mentioned, including type 2 diabetes.
When you are sleep deprived, your insulin hormone, which is responsible for balancing
your blood sugar and energy levels, this hormone will tend to become less effective at doing
its job, thereby increasing your blood sugar.
(13:01):
Sleep deprivation increases your growth hormone in the body.
Increasing growth hormone affects your insulin hormone and also makes its work less effective,
which in turn further increases your risk for insulin resistance and elevates your blood
sugar.
I hope you're starting to grasp, my friend, that you must get some sleep.
(13:21):
Now beyond lack of sleep contributing to weight gain, the condition of obesity can also increase
your risk for certain sleep disorders.
Get this tea.
Does your partner tend to snore the pain off the walls?
Or are you the reason that your partner sleeps with earflux?
One very common sleep disorder also associated with excess weight is obstructive sleep apnea.
(13:45):
It is reported that approximately 39 million adults in the United States have obstructive
sleep apnea.
However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates that as many as 80% of people with
obstructive sleep apnea are undiagnosed.
This is profound.
So listen up friends, sleep apnea is a health condition in which people experience disruptive
(14:07):
breathing while they are sleeping.
Loud snoring is one of the most common symptoms.
However, other findings may include gasping for air during sleep, daytime sleepiness,
dry mouth, likely due to the snoring when your mouth is open during sleep, headaches,
and frequent waking throughout the night.
(14:28):
And the tricky thing about sleep apnea is that it's actually a double edged sword,
meaning while excess weight can contribute to sleep apnea, the interrupted sleep patterns
and decreased oxygen levels associated with sleep apnea, especially when it's uncontrolled,
can disrupt hormonal regulation, increase inflammation, and lead to excess weight gain.
(14:51):
This is due to those changes we just discussed related to lack of quality sleep.
The good news is that sleep apnea can be diagnosed with a test given while you're sleeping.
Call a sleep study.
And once diagnosed, this condition is treatable with continuous positive airway pressure or
CPAP use.
Now before I go, let me leave you with some practical strategies for improving both your
(15:16):
sleep quality and for healthy weight management.
One, prioritize sleep.
Make sleep a non-negotiable part of your daily routine.
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night to support your overall health and well-being.
Two, establish a sleep routine.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine to signal to your body that it's time to wind down.
(15:41):
This could include activities such as taking a warm bath, reading, meditation, or gentle
stretching.
What I find is that many of us who are parents, we do this with our children, but as adults,
we tend to forget those patterns and those things that were helpful for getting good
sleep.
Three, create a sleep-conducive environment.
(16:03):
Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet.
Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows to optimize your sleep environment.
If a quiet environment is bothersome to you, then try a white noise machine or white noise
app or try listening to a sleep story.
Four, limit screen time before bed.
(16:25):
That's right, folks.
Turn those phones off.
The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt your body's natural sleep-wake cycle.
So avoid electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, at least an hour before
bedtime.
And yes, turn off that television and let your brain get some rest.
(16:45):
And number five, watch your diet and exercise.
Maintain a healthy diet and engage in regular physical activity to support both your sleep
quality and for healthy weight management.
Avoid heavy meals and caffeine close to bedtime and aim to exercise a bit earlier in the day
to promote better sleep.
(17:05):
Friends, you need to snooze to lose.
Sleep isn't just a luxury.
It's a fundamental pillar of health that deserves our attention and care.
Remember, the essence of health is in you.
Thank you for joining me today on the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
Click the subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a
(17:28):
moment of the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
Check out the show notes to obtain your free tips for Healthy Living God to get you started
on your health and wellness path.
Follow me on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube and at doctor.tw at EOHWC on TikTok.
(17:53):
Interested in becoming a member of the Essence of Health coaching program?
Well head on over to www.eohcoaching.com.
The essence of health is in you.
Welcome to the Essence of Health Tea Time Podcast.
(00:12):
I am your host, Dr. Shayla Toons-Whithers.
As a double board certified family and obesity medicine physician with over 12 years of experience
in medicine, I teach motivated individuals how to achieve their desired quality of life
while preventing and reversing chronic diseases.
(00:33):
It's tea time!
What part of your health journey is most challenging?
Is it the actual effort of sticking to a plan?
The cooking and the meal planning?
The exercise routine?
Not enough time for everything you think you need to do?
Or the confusion of it all?
(00:54):
If you said yes to any of these obstacles, then keep listening to learn how you can smash
these problems just by checking your email.
You check your email inbox every day already, but what if checking your inbox brought you
better health instead of the stress it sometimes can bring?
Well, I have news for you.
(01:15):
You can improve your health, get a jump start on improving your health conditions, and start
to feel like a better version of you just by checking your email inbox over the next
5 days when you join the free Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge.
You'll get health tips, actionable videos, a goal and habit tracker, and healthy recipes
(01:38):
every day for 5 days.
Better health is the best investment you'll ever make, and this is only a small investment
of your time.
You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
The Nourish and Flourish 5 Day Challenge was designed to set the foundation for healthy
habits for life.
(01:59):
Say yes to yourself today and sign up now at drshayla.com forward slash nfchallenge.
I'll also place these details in the show notes.
The essence of health is in you.
See you in your inbox.
I'm excited to announce that our group metabolic coaching program, the Mind-Body Balance Collective,
(02:20):
has started, and we're ready for you to come and join us.
Within this monthly program, we'll work together to not only develop your personalized plan
to improve your condition of insulin resistance, lower your blood sugar, lose weight, re-energize
your body, and keep you feeling your best self, but we'll also get you off of that
(02:42):
bad diet hamster will for good by giving you a sustainable plan that actually works within
your busy schedule to keep you in good health.
And best of all, you'll be amongst a safe, encouraging group of cheerleaders there to
support you along the way.
The Mind-Body Balance Collective is where you want to be.
(03:02):
Head on over to drshayla.com forward slash mvbc to enroll now, and let's get started
today.
It's tea time.
You've probably heard through the years that you should strive to get around eight hours
of sleep per night, but do you know why?
Do you know that lack of sleep can not only affect your overall health and wellness, but
(03:24):
can also impact your waistline?
Studies have shown that the average American adult gets less than seven hours of sleep
per night.
30% of adults have symptoms of insomnia or trouble sleeping, and sleep disorders like
sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy affect a significant number of Americans further
(03:47):
disrupting sleep.
While we know there are multiple contributing factors to why you may or may not be getting
enough sleep, on today's episode, I'll be spilling the tea on why you need to snooze
to lose, highlighting the connection that sleep has to our weight and its vital importance
in weight management.
(04:07):
Let's start our discussion today by delving into the facts about sleep and our sleep cycles.
Our bodies are finely tuned machines and operate on a natural rhythm or our internal clock
known as the circadian rhythm.
Their circadian rhythm helps to regulate our sleep-wake cycle, meaning your body's own
way of knowing when you should be asleep and when you should be awake.
(04:32):
Circadian rhythms are mostly affected by light and darkness and are controlled by a small
area in the middle of your brain.
They can affect sleep, body temperature, hormones, appetite, and other bodily functions.
Normal circadian rhythms may be linked to obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder,
(04:54):
seasonal affective disorder, and sleep disorders such as insomnia.
Now, during a typical night's sleep, we progress through several stages of sleep, including
light sleep, deep sleep, and REM or rapid eye movement sleep.
REM sleep or REM sleep is where our vivid dreams occur.
(05:17):
Within a normal sleep cycle, you may actually spend about two hours per night within the
REM cycle dreaming.
However, most of our sleep occurs within the non-REM cycles of sleep, as this encompasses
75% of our sleep cycle.
Our deepest stage of sleep within the non-REM cycles is considered to be the most critical
(05:40):
because this is the stage when the body repairs and regrows tissues, builds bone and muscle,
and strengthens our immune system.
Studies have shown that when individuals are awakened during this deepest sleep stage, they
tend to have moderately impaired mental performance for 30 minutes to an hour.
So just imagine the impact of this occurring every day.
(06:03):
Now, keep listening to this tea.
Each stage of sleep plays a vital role in the restorative processes of your brain and
body, healthy cognitive function, and overall health and wellness.
Remedies to these cycles can have significant implications for our well-being.
So at this point, you may be wondering, well, how much sleep should I be getting?
(06:25):
Well, I'm glad you asked.
The answer to this question is actually a bit more complex than you may have anticipated
as the amount of sleep needed, it'll change based upon the age of the individual.
Newborns within the first three months of life will need and get 14 to 17 hours of sleep
(06:45):
per day.
Just think of that little as newborn sleeping the day away.
Their brains are working in overdrive for their growth and development.
Infants within that first year of life will need about 12 to 16 hours of sleep per day,
including naps.
Toddlers of one to two years old will need about 11 to 14 hours of sleep per day.
(07:06):
This also includes naps.
Preschool-age children aged three to five years old will need about 10 to 13 hours of
sleep per day, also including naps.
I have three kids and I know from that point of them going from preschool into school,
then they start cutting that nap out, even if they're in school.
(07:27):
So school-age children aged six to 12 years old will need about nine to 12 hours per day,
which is why those bedtime routines and bedtime schedules are so important at this age.
Teens aged 13 to 18 years old will need about eight to 10 hours per day.
Adults over 18 years old, yes, that's you who's likely listening today, so listen up.
(07:51):
You'll need about seven to nine hours of sleep per day or night.
And this can even vary a bit more for aging adults over the age of 70, but you get the
gist.
Get some sleep.
Now, get this tea on the hormonal imbalances that occur with poor quality sleep and how
this may be impacting your weight.
(08:12):
As a board-certified obesity medicine specialist, I can confidently tell you that obesity is
far more complex than a balance of calories in and calories out.
I invite you to refer back and take a listen to the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast
Season 1, Episode 9 on the tea about the complexities of obesity, where I spill the tea regarding
(08:35):
multiple factors that contribute to obesity beyond the balance of nutrition and exercise.
If you're frustrated with your weight, taking more medications than you'd like to, have
been told that you are at risk for the development of a chronic preventable disease, or just
are not feeling in the best of health, then I'm talking to you.
(08:56):
Why?
Because you're tired of fat dieting, you know it's time for a change, and you want a sustainable
plan to improve your health.
If you have found yourself at this place in life, well, I have developed a program that's
just for you.
It's called The Essence of Health, and it's your prescription for transformation.
(09:16):
My goal with this program is to give you the tools needed to create sustainable lifestyle
changes within a group coaching setting, along with one-to-one individualized coaching to
give you a personalized path to help that's just for you.
The benefits are priceless, so join today.
Head on over to eohcoaching.com to learn more.
(09:41):
The Essence of Health is in you.
Now, as we are discussing why you need to snooze to lose, sleep is also another very
important factor that plays a part in weight management in the condition of obesity.
Poor quality sleep and lack of sleep is a risk factor for obesity.
(10:01):
Lack of sleep and poor quality sleep promote a hormonal imbalance within your body that
contributes to overeating and weight gain.
Two hormones identified in this connection are the hormones leptin and ghrelin.
Leptin is the hormone that signals to the brain that you're full, not hungry.
Due to the way leptin functions, it helps to regulate our appetite and our energy balance.
(10:24):
Ghrelin, on the other hand, is known as the hunger hormone.
It was explained to me when I was in obesity medicine training to think of ghrelin like
growling, you know, when your tummy's growling because you're hungry.
So, ghrelin is the hunger hormone, as it stimulates your appetite and promotes increased food
intake and promotes the storage of fat within your body.
(10:45):
Now, when you don't get enough sleep, the balance between these hormones becomes out
of whack, causing an increase in the levels of ghrelin, which translate to being more
hungry and decreased levels of leptin, so you're not feeling as full or satisfied,
thereby promoting weight gain.
Think about those times when you may have pulled an all-nighter for work or for school.
(11:08):
You'll typically grab a snack because this hormonal balance is out of whack.
This is also why, within the Essence of Health coaching programs, we practice mindfulness.
One aspect of being mindful is to actually challenge your brain and the thought processes
that you are experiencing.
For example, if you've already eaten dinner and you're suddenly feeling the need for a
(11:30):
snack, think about why and what you're actually feeling.
Are you actually hungry?
Are you actually bored?
Are you feeling stressed or anxious?
Are you sleepy?
Often when you practice mindfulness and delve a bit deeper to evaluate your thoughts and
feelings, you may decide that you didn't eat that snack after all.
(11:51):
Another critical role sleep plays in our health is for metabolic regulation.
Studies have shown that inadequate sleep impairs our body's ability to regulate blood sugar
levels and insulin sensitivity.
This, in turn, places you at risk for insulin resistance conditions like prediabetes, diabetes,
polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS, metabolic syndrome, and chronic obesity.
(12:16):
And if you already have diabetes, lack of sleep can make it even more challenging to
manage your condition and get your diabetes under control.
Here are a few hormonal and metabolic reasons that play a part in this occurrence.
One is cortisol, the stress hormone.
Cortisol is increased when you are deprived of sleep.
(12:37):
Calc, in turn, increases your blood sugar, which also, in turn, increases your risk for
those insulin resistance conditions I mentioned, including type 2 diabetes.
When you are sleep deprived, your insulin hormone, which is responsible for balancing
your blood sugar and energy levels, this hormone will tend to become less effective at doing
its job, thereby increasing your blood sugar.
(13:01):
Sleep deprivation increases your growth hormone in the body.
Increasing growth hormone affects your insulin hormone and also makes its work less effective,
which in turn further increases your risk for insulin resistance and elevates your blood
sugar.
I hope you're starting to grasp, my friend, that you must get some sleep.
(13:21):
Now beyond lack of sleep contributing to weight gain, the condition of obesity can also increase
your risk for certain sleep disorders.
Get this tea.
Does your partner tend to snore the pain off the walls?
Or are you the reason that your partner sleeps with earflux?
One very common sleep disorder also associated with excess weight is obstructive sleep apnea.
(13:45):
It is reported that approximately 39 million adults in the United States have obstructive
sleep apnea.
However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine estimates that as many as 80% of people with
obstructive sleep apnea are undiagnosed.
This is profound.
So listen up friends, sleep apnea is a health condition in which people experience disruptive
(14:07):
breathing while they are sleeping.
Loud snoring is one of the most common symptoms.
However, other findings may include gasping for air during sleep, daytime sleepiness,
dry mouth, likely due to the snoring when your mouth is open during sleep, headaches,
and frequent waking throughout the night.
(14:28):
And the tricky thing about sleep apnea is that it's actually a double edged sword,
meaning while excess weight can contribute to sleep apnea, the interrupted sleep patterns
and decreased oxygen levels associated with sleep apnea, especially when it's uncontrolled,
can disrupt hormonal regulation, increase inflammation, and lead to excess weight gain.
(14:51):
This is due to those changes we just discussed related to lack of quality sleep.
The good news is that sleep apnea can be diagnosed with a test given while you're sleeping.
Call a sleep study.
And once diagnosed, this condition is treatable with continuous positive airway pressure or
CPAP use.
Now before I go, let me leave you with some practical strategies for improving both your
(15:16):
sleep quality and for healthy weight management.
One, prioritize sleep.
Make sleep a non-negotiable part of your daily routine.
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night to support your overall health and well-being.
Two, establish a sleep routine.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine to signal to your body that it's time to wind down.
(15:41):
This could include activities such as taking a warm bath, reading, meditation, or gentle
stretching.
What I find is that many of us who are parents, we do this with our children, but as adults,
we tend to forget those patterns and those things that were helpful for getting good
sleep.
Three, create a sleep-conducive environment.
(16:03):
Make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet.
Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows to optimize your sleep environment.
If a quiet environment is bothersome to you, then try a white noise machine or white noise
app or try listening to a sleep story.
Four, limit screen time before bed.
(16:25):
That's right, folks.
Turn those phones off.
The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt your body's natural sleep-wake cycle.
So avoid electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, at least an hour before
bedtime.
And yes, turn off that television and let your brain get some rest.
(16:45):
And number five, watch your diet and exercise.
Maintain a healthy diet and engage in regular physical activity to support both your sleep
quality and for healthy weight management.
Avoid heavy meals and caffeine close to bedtime and aim to exercise a bit earlier in the day
to promote better sleep.
(17:05):
Friends, you need to snooze to lose.
Sleep isn't just a luxury.
It's a fundamental pillar of health that deserves our attention and care.
Remember, the essence of health is in you.
Thank you for joining me today on the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
Click the subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform so that you never miss a
(17:28):
moment of the Essence of Health Tea Time podcast.
Check out the show notes to obtain your free tips for Healthy Living God to get you started
on your health and wellness path.
Follow me on social media at Essence of Health Wellness Clinic on Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube and at doctor.tw at EOHWC on TikTok.
(17:53):
Interested in becoming a member of the Essence of Health coaching program?
Well head on over to www.eohcoaching.com.
The essence of health is in you.
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