REVISÕES October 01, 2007 October 01, 2007

Relation between sleep and obesity: a literature review

DOI: 10.1590/S0004-27302007000700004

Reduction in sleep time has become an endemic condition in modern society and current literature has found important epidemiological associations between damage in the habitual standard of sleep and obesity. On this basis, the present revision analyzed the role of sleep and its alteration in the promotion of obesity. Diverse studies indicate that subjects that sleep less have greater possibility of becoming obese, and the shortening of sleep increases the leptin/grelin reason, generating increase of the appetite and hunger. This can be associated to the biggest caloric intake and promotion of obesity. An adequate standard of sleep becomes basic for the regulation of body mass and must be stimulated by health professionals.