Having trouble losing weight? Getting too little sleep makes you more hungry than normal according to a small study from Uppsala University in Sweden.

The researchers used functional MRI to look at the brains of 12 normal sized men while they looked at pictures of food. They completed the functional MRI twice, one after the men had a full night of sleep and again after a night with no sleep. The part of the brain that relates to appetite showed more activity when the men were sleep deprived.

“Bearing in mind that insufficient sleep is a growing problem in modern society, our results may explain why poor sleep habits can affect people’s risk to gain weight” said researcher Christian Benedict.

There are many reasons why we aren’t getting enough sleep and especially enough good quality sleep. One reason you may be missing out on badly needed sleep is because you or your spouse suffer from an undiagnosed or untreated sleep breathing disorder. Sleep breathing disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea are marked by loud snoring and gasping for breath during sleep. This disturbs the sleep of both bed partners.

If your diet doesn’t seem to be working and you experience frequent daytime sleepiness please contact StoneRidge Dental Care in Columbus, OH at 614-476-6696 today. We’ll be happy to schedule your consultation.