Lack of sleep affects different hormones in men, women study says

New study has found that lack of sleep affects the different hormones in men and women and also raises the appetite in men while preventing women from feeling full after a meal.

The researchers from the Columbia Medical Centre in an experiment of 27 healthy volunteers found that restricted sleep affects the level of different hormones in men than in women.

The scientists have also thought that long-term sleep deprivation may contribute to obesity as it increases the number of calories eaten the following day. 

It has now been found that the mechanism for differs between the genders. Lead author Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge said, “Restricting sleep in healthy, normal weight participants has limited effects on the metabolic risk factors and may affect the food intake regulating hormones differently in men and women.” 

The team also measured the hormonal levels in the blood taken from the volunteers after sleeping for four hours and for nine hours. 

It was reported that short sleep increased the total ghrelin levels in men but not women and reduced GLP-1 levels in women but not in men.

The results also suggested that the common susceptibility to overeating during the period of short sleep is related to the increased appetite in men and reduced feeling of fullness in women.

Dr. Marie says, “The state of energy balance, whether someone is in a period of weight loss or weight gain, may be critical in the metabolic and hormonal responses to sleep restriction.”