ABSTRACT
A possible link between insufficient sleep and metabolism dysregulation has been suggested by studies showing that a prolonged sleep curtailment may act as a key co-factor for the development of obesity and/or metabolic syndrome [1]. Sleep restriction protocols have been shown to reduce glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and to reduce the leptin/ghrelin ratio, possibly leading subjects to eat more than needed [1]. These data have been partly confirmed by the results of a recent study, showing that sleep restriction induced an increase in energy expenditure which was overcompensated by an increase in energy intake leading to weight gain, in spite of a concomitant increase in the leptin/ghrelin ratio [2].
