Examining the association between insomnia and the risk of obesity among North American adults

Abstract

Background: Sleep is essential for human survival and a lack thereof leads to serious impairments in one’s well-being. Insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders with approximately 30% of the adult population reporting at least one of its symptoms. Given the rising epidemic of adult obesity, it is important to investigate all of the risk factors associated with the disease, especially those that are not well established. If insomnia is found to increase the risk of obesity, it could have significant impacts on an individual’s quality of life. Objective: The literature was reviewed to assess the evidence regarding the association between insomnia and the risk of obesity among North American adults. Methods: A structured literature review was conducted through database searches in PubMed, Medline, and ScienceDirect using the keywords “insomnia”, “obesity”, and “risk of obesity”. The articles selected were peer-reviewed, published after 2000, based on the human North American population, available in full-text, and in the English language. Results: The findings suggest that insomnia is associated with an increased risk of obesity. Shorter sleep durations are linked to lower leptin levels and higher ghrelin levels. Chronically elevated levels of glucocorticoids associated with adults who experience insomnia may predispose them to increased fat storage and overconsumption of high fat and high sugar foods. Conclusion: There is a positive association between insomnia and the risk of obesity among North American adults. Further investigation of the synergistic effect between insomnia and the risk of obesity is suggested. Additional research involving prospective longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes is required to confirm the strength and direction of the association.