The Cycle of Weight Gain and Sleep Issues
Have you ever noticed how a poor night’s sleep sometimes makes you hungrier the next day?
Sleep and weight are more closely connected than many people realize. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body experiences changes in the hormones that regulate hunger, appetite, and metabolism. Over time, living with chronic insomnia can increase the risk of weight gain and obesity.
For people already living with excess weight, this can become a cycle where poor sleep leads to weight gain, and excess weight makes sleep problems worse. Let’s explore that connection in depth and hear expert insights that can help you better understand how sleep issues and weight influence each other—and why talking to your doctor is an important next step towards improving your insomnia.
Dr. Pedersen is a specialist in Endocrinology and Metabolism, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is passionate about helping to conquer the stigma against obesity, educating healthcare professionals and the public about obesity, and helping us become a healthier society! In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Pedersen engages in public education through her podcast Dishing the Science, addressing common misconceptions about obesity and health.
Understand how lack of sleep negatively impacts your hormones and may lead to weight gain
Take this short, clinically validated self-assessment to see where your sleep challenges may fall—from mild to more serious—and if it might be time to talk with your doctor.
Yes. Sleep deprivation disrupts leptin and ghrelin, hormones that control feelings of hunger and fullness. This can increase your appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods.
Over time, this imbalance can lead to weight gain and add to the physiological effects of sleep debt, such as low levels of energy and changes in metabolism.
Take our short self-assessment to explore whether insomnia may be contributing to your ongoing sleep debt and weight challenges.
Yes. Obesity is associated with conditions such as sleep apnea, depression, and heartburn, all of which can affect sleep quality.
This creates a feedback loop where poor sleep—which adds to sleep debt—leads to weight gain, and weight gain worsens sleep issues.
Complete our short self-assessment to see if insomnia could be compounding your sleep challenges.
