Heavy snorers burn far more calories as they sleep than quiet types, but they may be too drowsy during the day to lose any weight, a new study reveals.
Sleepers who suffer from the worst forms of sleep apnea and breathing problems burn up to 2,000 calories a night as they toss and turn.
That's 375 calories more than quiet sleepers shed during their sleepy time - the equivalent of a half-hour workout.
"I used to joke that sleep apnea was free exercise at night," Professor John Stradling, a British sleep expert told the BBC. "It's nice to have that confirmed."
The study of 212 sleepers was conducted by researcher Dr. Eric Kezirian of the University of California, San Francisco.
It's published Tuesday in the journal Archives of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.
Snorers may burn more energy because they rarely lapse into low-energy deep sleep or because they get a jolt of calorie-burning adrenaline each time their sleep is interupted by their breathing problems.
Researchers cautioned that the study does not indicate that nighttime snufflers will lose any weight as a result of the extra calorie loss.
In fact, other studies have shown a link between sleep problems and obesity.
That's because poor sleepers on average tend to eat too much and exercise less than deep sleepers.
"We also know that sleep deprivation increases appetite and decreases willpower," Stradling said.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment