Another reason to go to bed on time.

Going to bed on time and sleeping enough hours is certainly not a matter of course for many. Almost a quarter of the Dutch population appears to suffer from sleeping problems. A lack of sleep can have many causes. For example, some work irregular shifts and others look at their mobile phones just a little too long. A new study proves that you better do your best to get enough sleep. Because a lack of it appears to be directly linked to the accumulation of belly fat – a place where you just don’t want it.

eat more

Researchers have found that the longer you are awake, the more likely you are to eat more without becoming more physically active. It means you take in more calories, resulting in the accumulation of fat. Remarkably enough, this fat appears to be mainly stored in the abdominal area. And that while belly fat is the most unhealthy fat. “Our findings show that shorter sleep times, even in young, healthy and relatively lean subjects, is associated with an increase in caloric intake, minor weight gain and a significant increase in abdominal fat accumulation,” summarizes researcher Virend Somers. .

The added value of a good night’s sleep
Sleep is very important for many physical and cognitive functions. For example, cardiovascular health, the immune system, metabolism, memory, and emotion regulation are affected by sleep. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease or cancer is also associated with sleep quality. For better health and emotional well-being, people should consistently get enough sleep. This means 7 hours of sleep per night for most healthy people.

During the experiment, twelve healthy people, who were not obese at all, were examined over a period of 21 days. The participants were divided into two groups. The first group slept normal hours, while the second group had to make do with limited sleep. Each group had access to different foods throughout the study. The researchers then measured energy intake, energy expenditure, body weight and fat distribution, among other things. Interestingly, the participants who slept little consumed more than 300 extra calories per day. They also ate about 13 percent more protein and 17 percent more fat.

fat increase

When the participants were examined again at the end of the experiment, the researchers made a surprising discovery. For lack of adequate sleep can be directly associated with a 9 percent increase in total abdominal fat area and an 11 percent increase in so-called visceral adipose tissue; fat that is not stored directly under the skin, but deeper, around internal organs. And that is particularly worrying. Visceral fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, among other things.

recovery sleep

This result came as a surprise. “We did not expect the fat deposit to be deposited so clearly around the abdomen and especially in the visceral compartments,” explains Somers in conversation with Scientias.nl from. “What was especially worrisome was that visceral fat continued to increase even after three days of recovery sleep—when caloric intake and subcutaneous fat decreased again. This shows that the fat accumulation in the abdomen does not disappear immediately, even during a short period of less sleep. So when someone suffers from chronic sleep deprivation, the visceral fat can continue to accumulate over the years.”

visceral fat

While fat is normally deposited under the skin, it seems that too little sleep causes it to move to the visceral areas, where it does more damage. “It was very surprising that the visceral fat increased so preferentially compared to the subcutaneous fat,” says Somers. “Normally, in young, lean and healthy people it is expected that the subcutaneous fat first increases. So it seems that insufficient sleep changes the mechanisms that determine how fat is stored.” Why this is so? Somers owes us the answer. “We do not know yet. But we plan to investigate that further.”

CT-scan

This accumulation of visceral fat could only be revealed by means of a CT scan. The fact that the build-up of belly fat is difficult to recognize makes it even more dangerous. “People need to be aware that with continued sleep deprivation, abdominal fat can secretly increase,” Somers says. “It’s not obvious with weight measurements alone. The fat builds up unnoticed, which can eventually lead to abdominal obesity.”

Health

The findings underline how important a good night’s sleep is not only for your well-being, but also for your health. “Long-term, these findings imply that insufficient sleep is a contributor to the epidemics of obesity, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases,” Somers warns. He hopes the results will increase people’s awareness of the cumulative consequences of sleep deprivation. “A lack of sleep, either by choice or by necessity, can have real long-term adverse health effects,” Somers summed up. “It makes you more prone to heart disease and diabetes.”

All in all, the results show how important it is that we get regular and long enough sleep. People who struggle with this, or are not always able to do so because of their job, should pay even more attention to sufficient exercise and healthy food choices, according to Somers, in order to prevent the accumulation of unhealthy belly fat.