Losing Belly Fat may Help Promote Sleep

Individuals who lost weight and reduced their waistline slept much better in comparison to overweight individuals.

Losing weight not just improves your health but it might actually help to improve your sleep quality!

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.

About Sleep Disorder
Sleep disorders can either be having difficulty in getting sleep or dozing off at inappropriate time.

The 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.

Quiz on Sleep Disorder
The comfort of modern life comes at the cost of restful sleep! "Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone-Anthony Burgess" Scientifically it is proven that a good night's sleep is imperative for maintaining a balance between the physical, emotional and behavioral well-being of a person.

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.

Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Measure your daytime sleepiness using this simple interactive tool, based on Epworth Sleepiness disorder Scale. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness is a type of hypersomnia characterized by persistent sleepiness and lack of energy.

Source-Medindia

'More Prone To Type 2 Diabetes' Are People With Belly Fat
A new study has revealed that obese people with excess visceral fat (abdominal fat that surrounds the body's internal organs) have an increased risk for the development of Type 2 diabetes.