Obesity and Sleep

Sleep is often misunderstood in its impact on many chronic diseases including obesity. Obesity and restorative sleep are intertwined processes. Poor sleep negatively affects the key hormones of weight and appetite regulation, thereby potentially increasing weight via mechanisms that increase hunger and lower metabolism, thereby making the successful treatment of obesity more difficult. Clinicians should consider a comprehensive sleep history and proper treatment or referral to a sleep specialist in conjunction with obesity treatment. Adequate restorative sleep is integral to a comprehensive obesity treatment program.