Weight Gain And Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea can interfere with many areas of your life. Besides keeping your partner awake all night with your snoring, sleep apnea sufferers may experience constant fatigue during the day and even unexplained weight gain.

The obvious reason for such weight gain is being too tired to exercise. Poor quality sleep can leave you with low energy and little motivation. While you might be able to get through your work day, you have very little fuel left in the tank for a kickboxing class. If you move less and less because you are constantly tired, chances are good that the pounds will start adding up.

It’s not just a lack of motivation to exercise, however, that can lead sleep apnea sufferers to gain weight. Another reason has to do with hormone levels. If you are not getting an adequate amount of sleep at night, the hormone levels that trigger hunger can become disrupted. You may feel you need to eat more because of this hormone imbalance. Often, when people are tired, they reach for sweet snacks or carb-loaded meals to help give them energy — foods that are filled with empty calories. With sleep deprivation and hormones working against you, it might be difficult to stick to a sensible diet.

A desire to eat more calories paired with a lack of energy to exercise equals double trouble. In addition, weight gain only makes your sleep apnea symptoms worse. This can make you feel like you’re stuck, but by treating your sleep apnea symptoms you can regain control of your sleep and your weight.

If you have questions or concerns about sleep disorders and how they may be affecting your quality of life, please call our Granger, IN office to schedule a consultation today.