How sleep affects the appetite of men and women

Buenos Aires, November 2, 2012
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The study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and published in ‘SLEEP’, suggests, “The increase in the amount of sleep could lead to reduced food intake, although the hormonal process differs between men and women.”

Lead researcher Marie-Pierre St-Onge explained, “The sleep restriction in healthy, normal weight, has a limited effect on metabolic risk, and may affect food intake differently in men and women”.

“The study analyzed the duration of sleep, glucose dysregulation, and hormonal regulation of appetite in 27 men and women of normal weight, between 30 and 45 years of age. Participants were studied under two conditions: short sleep (4 hours) or normal (9 hours) “.

The short sleep increased total ghrelin levels in men but not in women, and decreased levels of GLP-1 in women but not in men. The results suggest that common susceptibility to overeating during the short sleep is associated with increased appetite in men, and decreased fullness in women.