"Snooze or Lose": Dr. Oz's sleep quiz

Television's Dr. Oz is back talking about sleep this week. This time the discussion came in the form of a contest named "Snooze or Lose." Two contestents tucked into beds on set were grilled on basic sleep questions. Watch the entire segment here:





As we always do with Dr. Oz., let’s take a look at the facts for each of the three “true or false” questions. Unlike one of the last times we blogged about his show, his advice is spot on.

“If you cut back on the sleep you need by just one hour, your body will adjust.” As Dr. Oz indicated, the statement is simply not true. The body will not adjust, and as the sleep debt racks up so will the negative effects of sleep deprivation. We recommend at least 7 hours of sleep per night.

Doctor Oz. is also correct in dismissing the statement “A handful of trail mix before bed will help you sleep better.” Its true protein can make it difficult to sleep. We don’t recommend eating before bed, but if you must eat, choose a light carbohydrate-based snack like cereal or granola.

The third statement , "Poor sleep can leads to diabetes" is accurate. Research shows the risk of getting type 2 diabetes goes up if you get less than seven hours per night. The chances rise significantly if you sleep for five hours or less. This is because poor sleep alters the way the body metabolizes the blood sugar glucose. People with type 2 diabetes have difficulty turning the glocuse into energy, due problems with insulin.

Another common factor between poor sleep and diabetes is obesity. Most people with diabetes are overweight. Sleep loss greatly increases your risk of obesity.