Many people are bothered by the flab that accumulates on their arms as well as legs. In addition to targeted exercise, there is another factor that is overlooked, the impact of sleep on fat distribution.
Recently, a study found that people who do not get enough sleep have “thicker” legs and arms.
A study published in the international journal of nutrition “Nutrients” found that “fat” grows where it is, and the length of sleep is related.
The study analyzed the sleep of 9,413 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018 and used dual-energy X-ray bone densitometry to measure fat mass in different parts of the body.
The study showed that after accounting for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, comorbidities, and medications, fat mass index was higher in the trunk, arms, and legs of those who missed sleep (i.e., slept less than 7 hours per day) compared to those who slept 7 to 9 hours per day.
However, no differences were found compared to those who slept longer than 9 hours per day.
For both sexes, similar results were observed for men and women who were sleep deprived, although in terms of more fat mass in the arms, it was only seen in women who were sleep deprived.
In addition, in the obese population, people who slept less than 7 hours had higher fat mass index in their arms and legs compared to those who slept 7-9 hours per day, although no correlation was observed in the non-obese population.
What happens to your body when you don’t get enough sleep?
A good night’s sleep requires high quality, regular rest, and a good rhythm, and the most important thing to do is to ensure a reasonable and scientific sleep duration. Prolonged lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can damage physical and mental health by.
- Endocrine disruption
There are many important hormones that are secreted during sleep, such as thyroid hormones, sex hormones, and melatonin.
Â- Low levels of thyroid hormones can make the skin dry and rough, affect thermoregulation, lead to mucus edema, etc.
Â- Inadequate secretion of sex hormones can lead to poor skin condition, and women are at increased risk of gynecological diseases such as ovarian cysts, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and breast enlargement.
Â- Melatonin is an important hormone for the body’s antioxidants, and lack of sleep leads to the inability to secrete melatonin, which may lead to premature aging.
- Damage to the brain
Insufficient sleep can lead to impaired cognitive function in the body. Sleep disorders can cause problems such as forgetfulness, trance, and difficulty concentrating.
- Induce cardiovascular disease
According to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, women with sleep disorders eat an extra 600 calories a day, which leads to rapid weight gain, increasing the cardiovascular burden and triggering cardiovascular disease.
- Lower immunity
Sleep deprivation reduces the phagocytic ability of white blood cells, leading to abnormalities in the body’s immune cells TH17. When the immune system does not work, the body cannot fight against bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, etc., leading to diseases taking advantage of the situation.
- Hinder the body’s metabolism
During sleep, phagocytes actively engulf necrotic tissues and carry out metabolism, expelling necrotic tissues, toxins, and metabolites from the body, allowing the joints and muscles that are sore during the day to rest.
- Not good for mental health
The length of sleep is too short or too long easily lead to anxiety, depression, etc. In the long run, it may also induce mental illness and affect the well-being of the individual.
A good sleep should do 4 things
A quality sleep requires the cooperation of many aspects. From daily habits to emotional state of mind, all need to be adjusted to.
- Keep your emotions positive
If there is no way to change the objective things, then try to change your perspective on things, and thus change your mindset.
- Maintain a regular life
Not only include work and rest, but also the regularity of three meals a day, sleep in a quiet and comfortable environment, turn off the lights in time before going to bed, and do not look at electronic devices.
- Seek medical attention in time for illness
Some diseases of the urinary system and respiratory system can affect the quality of sleep, and patients suffering from these diseases should be treated as early as possible to restore sleep and form a positive cycle.
- Don’t use drugs indiscriminately
Some young people take melatonin and sleeping pills indiscriminately without regard to their physical condition, which not only improve sleep without benefit, but also may have other side effects.
Three points to assess the quality of their sleep.
Time of sleep
Whether you can start to fall into a sleepy state and turn to sleep at 10~11 p.m. every day.
The length of sleep
Whether you can sleep enough for 7~8 hours each night before waking up naturally.
How you feel after waking up
Energetic or listless.
When any of these is not satisfied, you need to be alerted, and when there is a long-term problem, you need to go to the hospital sleep department.