If you didn’t know this already, obesity has a direct effect on sleep and vice versa. Issues in one department can lead to the other. So, here is how sleep and obesity can affect your health and overall life. However, for treatment and recommendations, only follow the advice of a sleep specialist Silver Spring.
The Connection Between Sleep And Obesity
Obesity is a huge problem for a lot of people. Obesity, in the traditional and medical sense, is the gaining of weight of your body. If your body exceeds the BMI (body mass index) of 29, then you are considered obese and overweight.
If you’re obese, then aside from other health problems, you will also have a hard time sleeping. Other problems will arise when you’re not giving your body a good night’s rest.
Sleep is very important for the human body. It allows the body to heal, relax, and rest for a good 7 to 8 hours before it’s go time again.
If you’re having problems sleeping, then the major reason behind it might be because you’re not active and you’re gaining weight. This is highly adverse for your health and it can lead to a lot of problems in the long run.
Also, in the reversed sense, lack of sleep will cause obesity. Think about it – if you’re not sleeping adequately, you’re not getting the energy you need to power through the day and if you don’t have that, then you won’t have any energy to exercise or even move minimally.
Over time, this can cause obesity and that’s not what you want. So, obesity and sleep are more connected than you think and its effect in one department can cause a domino effect in the other.
Another link between sleep and obesity can be hormonal imbalance. Obesity doesn’t just mess with your hormones in general. It also causes a lot of problems with hormones that are supposed to make you sleep. If your body is hormonally imbalanced, then you can expect a lot of problems, especially related to obesity and sleep.
Common Disorders Caused By Obesity
There are a lot of disorders related to sleep and not, that can be caused by obesity. They include the following:
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder that prevents you from breathing when you’re deep into a snooze. You can typically stop breathing for a couple of seconds, but it can resume normally.
It happens because the airways collapse on impact and obesity and fat deposition is what mainly causes it in the first place. If you are overweight, then the excess fat will compress your airways, preventing you from breathing well during sleep. People with sleep apnea commonly use a CPAP machine to avoid breathing problem during sleep.
Reflux
Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD is a disease that mainly causes heartburn when you’re sleeping. Because of the excess weight, the contents of the stomach can find their way back into the esophagus and it can cause heartburn along with a regurgitating feeling. This is very uncomfortable to deal with and it can deter your sleep schedule as well.
If you’re constantly feeling uncomfortable during sleep, then you won’t be able to get any shut-eye at all. This is why it’s recommended that people lose weight and avoid eating late at night to avoid the effects of GERD.
Depression
Lack of sleep and being overweight can also cause depression and other mental health disorders. This is extremely bad for not only the body but also your well-being because you’re not your usual happy self and anything can make you feel gloomy and overall just not excited about life.
Depression can slowly drain you and it’s really dangerous if it is left untreated for too long. This is why it’s recommended by a lot of health professionals to get your sleep and weight in line if you want to combat mental health disorders. That’s the best way to cope with this.
Asthma
Breathing problems become the norm in obesity. One of them includes asthma and it is quite dangerous because it can occur without a reason. Usually, asthma is hard to navigate because there isn’t a definitive cause of this breathing disorder and it just happens out of the blue.
Well, if you’re already facing issues with sleep and obesity, then asthma will also follow suit shortly. This is bad because you will rely on an inhaler in the long run and that’s not something you want to deal with, so you should get your health in check.
How To Promote Better Sleep With Obesity?
So, now you know that sleep and obesity have a correlation and it’s anything but good. So, here are some things you can try to promote better sleep and get your weight under control. Remember going to a general physician or a sleep doctor Bethesda is a must and these are just things you want to incorporate in your lifestyle for better effects.
Exercise
Moving your body has a lot of benefits and one of them is not only promoting better sleep but also keeping excess fat at bay. This is something that you can do right away. Walking, cardio, and just a bit of movement a couple of minutes a day will make a huge difference, so try it out for yourself.
Balanced Diet
Another thing that will heal your body from the inside out is better food. If you feed your body with good food, then you will see the difference in no time. Having a balanced diet is super important, and it’s not just to lose weight.
Your body needs all of the vitamins, nutrients, and energy it can get to stay healthy, which is why you must eat everything, but in moderation. For this, you might need the opinion of a dietician as they will evaluate what you need in your diet and then you can start your plan around those guidelines.
Having A Routine
Having a set routine for every single day is going to turn your life around. Whether you have a work-life balance to take care of or you work from home, a routine is something everyone should have and you should strive to make it a part of your life.
It doesn’t only teach you discipline, but it also allows you to have everything in order, so you know exactly what to do throughout the day.
Sleeping Comfortably
You can try to make your bed a very comfortable place where you can fall asleep easily. This is important. First of all, your bed needs to be free from distractions and should only be a place for resting. Secondly, the mattress should also be comfortable for you, so that you don’t wake up with bad back pain.
So, if you take care of these things, your sleep will automatically fall into place and if you sleep well, then your health will also be in good condition. Amazing, isn’t it?
Conclusion
Sleep problems and obesity are interlinked and one can lead to the other so you should be careful and get help to avoid weight or sleep issues. If you’re suffering for any sleep disorder, visit a sleep center Chevy Chase. For weight loss, see your GP, a nutritionist, or a bariatrician.