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June 7, 2006 | Issue 68 |
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Sleep Apnea May Be Keeping You From Losing Weight
While reviewing a stack of medical records from incoming guests a few months ago, Dr. Sam Judah Sugar, MD, FACP, who joined the medical staff at Pritikin in 2005, noticed something peculiar.
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PRITIKIN RECIPES
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A whopping 80% of guests reported that they had trouble getting a good night’s sleep. Not surprisingly, many also complained of problems caused by sleep loss, such as daytime fatigue, irritability, headaches, and foggy thinking.
Dr. Sugar, experienced in sleep disorders, became concerned. "If you don't sleep well, you can't get well," says the board certified internist of 33 years and Associate Professor of Medicine at Rush University College of Medicine in Chicago.
Sleep Disorders and Obesity
"What many people don't realize is that sleep disorders and obesity go hand-in-hand." And it's a Catch-22. Excess weight can cause problems, like sleep apnea, which rob you of sleep, but it's difficult to lose weight if you're sleep deprived.
"Research has shown that if you take people who normally get a healthy eight hours of sleep a night and then purposely wake them up three hours earlier every night, hormonal disturbances occur that put on pounds,” explains Dr. Sugar. "In just weeks, Leptin, the hormone that tells the brain, 'You're full, you can stop eating,’ decreases by 15%. And Graelin, the hormone that signals, 'You’re really hungry, you need to eat,' increases by 15%."
The good news, counsels Dr. Sugar and the entire physician team at Pritikin, is that getting back to a good night's sleep calms hormonal disturbances. No longer is your body fighting against you. Losing weight gets easier. Plus, a good night's sleep lessens fatigue, so you're more likely to exercise, which certainly promotes weight loss.
New Sleep Services Program
To help people struggling with sleep problems, the physicians at Pritikin have established a Sleep Services Program that identifies, diagnoses, and treats sleep disorders, particularly a serious one called obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea
Dr. Thomas Rice, FACP, Medical Director at Pritikin, explains that people don't sleep well for several reasons, including restless leg syndrome and menopausal hot flashes, but the most serious chronic problem, posing the greatest risk, is sleep apnea.
What's heartening is that...
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Pritikin Perspective - Healthy Living Made Easier
Pritikin Perspective is a publication for Alumni of the Pritikin Longevity Center. It is dedicated to helping people make healthy changes in their lives. The articles in this publication should not be considered specific medical advice, as each individual circumstance is different. You are strongly encouraged to seek medical advice before beginning a program of diet and exercise.
Editor/Writer: Eugenia Killoran.
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