Abstract
Does lack of sleep lead to obesity? Many studies show that in Western countries the duration of sleep has decreased in recent years. Epidemiological approaches have shown a link between short sleep duration and increased body mass index, but these studies did not identify that this link is causal and which mechanisms are involved. Experimental studies may help in that matter. Some of the metabolic effects of sleep deprivation in humans and in animals are reviewed. Then the results of a recent paper are given, which show that food intake is increased by acute sleep deprivation in humans and discussed in regards with the different hypothesis about the mechanisms involved. Finally, the increase of food intake during restricted sleep might be an archaic phylogenetic phenomenon which is still present and active in humans. This phenomenon could be the same as the seasonal variations in sleep and food intake according to the length of day and night in animals and could be mediated by melatonin secretion.
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