Let’s take a look at the major health issues for obese men and women who neglect their bodies’ natural sleep signals.
Between both genders there IS a difference, too.
A study from Oregon Health & Science University has revealed significant health issues for overweight individuals who ignore their body’s natural sleep signals, showing notable differences between men and women.
Published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the research emphasizes the importance of maintaining good sleep habits.
Led by Brooke Shafer, Ph.D., from the OHSU School of Nursing’s Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory, the study involved 30 participants — half men and half women — each with a body mass index (BMI) over 25, placing them in the overweight or obese category.
The study aimed to examine the impact of sleep timing on health, specifically how ignoring the body’s natural sleep cues affects individuals with excess weight.
How this Study Was Done
Participants provided saliva samples every 30 minutes until late at night in an OHSU sleep lab to track the onset of melatonin production.
Melatonin is a hormone that signals the body to start falling asleep, and its release varies based on an individual’s internal biological clock.
Following the lab session, participants tracked their sleep habits at home for a week.
Researchers then analyzed the time gap between melatonin onset and the actual time they went to sleep.
They categorized participants into two groups: those with a narrow window (a short time between melatonin onset and sleep) and those with a wide window (a longer time between melatonin onset and sleep). A narrow window typically indicates poor sleep habits.
The study found that participants who went to bed closer to their melatonin onset had worse health outcomes.
Specifically, men in this group had higher levels of abdominal fat, increased fatty triglycerides in their blood, and greater risk scores for metabolic syndrome compared to men who had better sleep habits.
Women in the narrow window group showed higher overall body fat, elevated glucose levels, and increased resting heart rates.
The next phase of the research will explore how severe disruptions in sleep patterns, such as those experienced by shift workers, affect health differently based on gender.
The goal is to develop strategies to help men and women in high-risk jobs maintain better health through improved sleep practices.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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