he Sleep and nutritionThere are two processes that are fundamental to health, and they have a deeper relationship than previously thought.
Researchers at the UF Scripps Herbert Wertheim Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology (US) analyzed how lack of sleep can affect appetite and rest patterns, and found direct links between both behaviors.
Various studies have shown this Chronic sleep deprivation increases calorie consumption, while fasting can reduce the need for sleep. However, the mechanisms that explain this interaction are still poorly understood. To address this conundrum, scientists at JNeurosci published experimental work on fruit flies (Drosophila), a biological model that allows us to observe how different types of sleep deprivation change subsequent behavior.
During the tests, the flies were exposed to different sleep-restricting conditions. The researchers observed that when the lack of rest caused them to lose energy, the insects compensated by eating and sleeping more to recover. On the other hand, when lack of sleep did not affect their energy levels, there were no changes in their diet or sleep duration.
The results confirm that sleep deprivation associated with low energy causes an increase in the desire to eat and the tendency to sleep later. “I think our work reinforces the idea of using less invasive behavioral sleep interventions to alleviate eating and metabolic disorders,” explained one of the study authors.
Likewise, researchers have highlighted this “It is possible that by correcting sleep habits, it will be easier to modify cravings and eating habits.”.
“Our work also suggests that sleep or metabolic disorders may be difficult to treat in isolation; multiple behaviors, including sleep and eating habits, may need to be corrected for effective therapeutic interventions,” they added.
The study indicates that sleep acts as an energy conservation mechanism and that treating rest and eating problems separately may not be effective in treating metabolic disorders or sleep disorders.
The authors suggest so Improving comfort may help regulate appetite and cravingsThis opens the possibility of developing integrated treatments that consider sleep and metabolism as two interconnected processes.
Written by Maria Camila Salas Valencia
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