According to a recent study carried out by researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the U.S, it was found that people who lost a stone in weight, and reduced about 15 percent of their waistline, slept much better while overweight individuals continue to have sleep-related issues besides various other problems.
e study was carried out on 77 people who were overweight or obese and had either type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, who were then randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group participated in exercise training and went on a diet while the other group just followed a diet.
The participants were required to fill out a questionnaire on sleep survey at the start and end of the study to identify sleep problems, including sleep apnea, insomnia, daytime fatigue, restless sleep, excessive sleep or sleepiness. They were also required to mention if they required sedatives to help them sleep. The body mass index and abdominal fat of the subjects were measured at the start and end of the survey.
On an average, both groups lost about 15lb of weight; they also lost about the same amount of abdominal fat which was measured with the help of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Also, there was an improvement in the sleep score of both the groups by 20%. Although a variety of sleep problems were reported by both the groups but no single problem was projected prominently.
Kerry Stewart, Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Director of Clinical and Research Exercise Physiology said that an improvement in sleep quality was discovered to be associated with weight loss in general and loss of belly fat in particular. She added that good sleep is vital for optimal physical and mental health, as well as for the proper functioning of the heart. Lack of proper sleep has been linked to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
It is a well known fact that obese individuals are known to suffer from sleep-related problems. It is therefore important to maintain an optimum weight and this can be brought about by adopting a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercising and a healthy diet.
Source:Johns Hopkins University
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