Can Sleepless Nights Make You Fat?

It has long been known that sleep apnea can lead to a number of collateral health problems beyond basic fatigue. Mood swings, cognitive impairment, even dementia have all made the shortlist of the waking disorder’s side effects. Now one of the most commonly cited – weight gain – seems to have gathered some scientific grounding.

A new study shows a strong connection between obstructive sleep apnea and a predisposition for diabetes. The most likely pathway is through insulin regulation and resistance, the two factors that essentially define diabetes:

With sleep apnea breathing repeatedly stops and starts and the person often snores loudly reports Mayo Clinic. Neurology specialist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Rossana Huerta Albarran, said a person who has apnea and diabetes risk factors is likely to develop the condition. This happens because the sleep disorder causes metabolic changes by increasing insulin resistance.

Other pathways include a desire to eat more carbohydrates, and subsequent development of hypertensive symptoms.

My sinus surgery practice offers permanent solutions for certain types of sleep apnea caused by a deviated septum, chronic sinusitis, or enlarged turbinates. To learn more about how you can sleep better, contact us today.