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Examining the Impact of Health Communication in Promoting Healthy Sleep Habits and

Combating Obesity

Kenva Smith

Sam Houston State University

Sleep is something that we all do, but not many of us can fall asleep and stay asleep for

the necessary period. The quantity and quality of sleep are very important for mental and

physical well-being. Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with psychological and

physiological side effects/diseases including anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalance, cardiac

arrhythmia, hypertension, and even obesity. Obesity, in particular, is a preventable disease and a

public health issue with a multifactorial etiology. However, inadequate sleep and a disturbance in

the circadian rhythm significantly affect the development of obesity. Since the relationship

between sleep and obesity is not well known or understood by the general public, this paper aims

to examine the potential impact of Health Communication on promoting healthy sleep habits to

reduce obesity.

According to the Sleep Foundation (2021), the body’s sleep requirement varies based on

the age of the individual in addition to other external factors. The age group that requires the

most amount of sleep is babies, which is about 18 hours per night. This is followed by young

children who may need between 9-10 hours of sleep. Teenagers need about 8-10 hours whereas

adults ought to have around 7-9 hours of sleep. Teenage girls are the most likely to suffer from

insomnia. Insomnia affects 4% - 36% of adolescents and 9% - 50% of adults depending on their

ethnicity (Chan, N. Y., Chan, J. W. Y., Li, S. X., & Wing, Y. K., 2021). The last group, geriatric

adults, require a nightly range of 7-8 hours of sleep, however, they may fall short of this due to

side effects of medication, medical conditions, light sleep, earlier circadian rhythms, and

multiple sleep disturbances. Apart from age-required differences, some studies posit that a

person’s sex may influence the quantity of sleep needed as well. Women, for example, tend to

have a shorter circadian rhythm than men, therefore necessitating more sleep. In any event, all of
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these age groups, except for infants and young children, are subjected to modern life stressors

that impede the quality and quantity of sleep, therefore increasing the risk for obesity.

Common causes of chronic inadequate sleep or insomnia are the result of chronic

stressors and requirements of modern life. One such requirement is our modern working patterns,

which usually demand long work hours while utilizing excessive mental and physical exertion

for wages that are inadequate to support today's cost of living, especially for a family. This, in

turn, leads to chronic sleep problems that stem from constant emotional stressors and mental

health issues that either interrupt sleep, keep us awake, or lower the quality of sleep.

In these situations, most people turn to screened devices such as phones, tablets, or video

games as sleep aid or stress reliever before bed. The blue-green light emitted from the screens

inhibits the circulation of melatonin, increases alertness of the brain, and negatively affects

circadian alignment. Screen time before bed can delay the length of time it takes to fall asleep by

minutes or even hours, further reducing the quantity and quality of sleep. To maintain alertness

and wakefulness at work or school the next day, people voluntarily restrict sleep with the

consumption of coffee, energy drinks, and recreational/prescription drugs (marijuana, opiates,

amphetamines). This act perpetuates a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation and restlessness

(Chaput, J. P., McHill, A. W., Cox, R. C., Broussard, J. L., Dutil, C., da Costa, B. G. G.,

Sampasa-Kanyinga, H., & Wright, K. P., Jr, 2023).

Sleep deprivation and restlessness are forms of “insufficient sleep”. As research develops,

science continuously shows further correlation between unhealthy sleep habits and obesity.

Insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment are currently proving to be the largest contributing

factors. Insufficient sleep alters the hormones leptin and ghrelin. These two hormones play a

crucial role in appetite development and retention. When one sleeps for a short period of time, an
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increased amount of ghrelin is released into the system. Ghrelin is an orexigenic peptide

primarily secreted from the stomach and stimulates hunger as well as growth hormone release.

Not only is ghrelin released in excess after fragmented sleep, but Peptide YY is reduced. Science

is yet to determine if this is due to the energy utilized while at rest. Peptide YY is considered a

“satiation peptide’. The reduction of satiation peptides, in cohesion with the increase in ghrelin,

can cause one to binge and eat unnecessarily. In other words, a reduction of this hormone can

result in overconsumption.

A tendency to sleep for shorter periods also showed a positive association with LOWER

postprandial (after meal) desire to consume. However, this seemed to apply specifically to

subjects who habitually slept shorter durations, rather than sporadically. Shorter, fragmented

sleep was also shown to lead to higher postprandial insulin levels in women. Interestingly, this

trait is not universal for both men and women. Shorter sleep duration was shown to lead to lower

postprandial insulin levels in men, but higher postprandial levels in women. The factor that led to

lower insulin levels in women turned out to be the overall quality of sleep. Not only did poor

quality lead to lower insulin levels in women but also lower postprandial ghrelin levels. In the

short-term, acute deprivation of sleep is shown to lead to increased levels of hunger and a

reduced feeling of fullness and satiation. Long-term, habitual sleep deprivation, and unhealthy

sleep habits are associated with higher basal plasma concentrations of active ghrelin (Chaput, J.

P., McHill, et al., 2023).

Health Communication is critical for the dissemination of information and for promoting

the necessary behavioral change needed to increase sleep quantity, and quality, and hopefully

reduce the risk of obesity. It can accelerate public education and awareness as well as facilitate

risk communication and prevention. By using evidence-based information health communication

will serve to educate the public and bring awareness of the relationship between obesity and

sleep deprivation through various platforms, including health campaigns, websites, social media,

and educational material. With a heightened sense of awareness, individuals may feel motivated

to take the necessary steps to improve their sleep quality and begin a healthier lifestyle. The

incorporation of behavioral change models such as the Health Belief Model may be effective in

conveying the urgency of this public health issue while simultaneously motivating them to make

changes due to their understanding of their own susceptibility and risk for lower quality of life.

Aside from educating the general public, it is also important to empower and equip healthcare

professionals with evidence-based research, guidelines, and training on how to effectively

communicate with and counsel patients on the importance of healthy sleep habits, identify sleep

disorders, and incorporate sleep management into comprehensive obesity prevention and

treatment plans.

Health campaigns, websites, and media on this topic should include ways to improve

sleep management, quality, and quantity. Suggestions may include minimizing noise light and

electronic device use prior to bedtime. Keeping the bedroom cool dark and quiet are also

effective ways to create a restful environment conducive for a good night's sleep. Establishing a

consistent bedtime ritual and laying on comfortable, supportive, mattresses and pillows can

increase the sleep experience.

Additionally, throughout the day, it is recommended to reduce stress and include some

form of stress management to facilitate sleep. Regular exercise, such as a moderately intense 30-

minute walk 3-5 days a week, is a good outlet for stress and increases relaxation. Another way to

increase the quality and quantity of sleep is by utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy for

insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I Helps to improve sleep habits manage stress and change thought
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patterns related to sleep. If an app is required throughout the day it is recommended that it not be

close to bedtime and that it is limited to 20 or to 30 minutes. Some form of cognitive behavioral

therapy is usually the first form of treatment for sleep insufficiency, however utilizing sleep aids

or pharmaceuticals, such as melatonin and CBD oils, in addition to the therapy can also be

beneficial (Sleep Foundation 2021).

In conclusion, sleep deprivation poses a great public health concern seeing as it also

affects another major public health issue, which is obesity. Insufficient sleep and obesity affect

people of many ages and races, and both pose multiple health risks, both physical and mental.

Health Communication is necessary in disseminating evidence-based information to the general

public in order to combat these major issues. Using social media platforms such as TikTok,

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit may be some of the fastest ways to reach people from

all age groups, and backgrounds. In addition to social media equipping healthcare professionals

with the necessary information is another way to share this necessary information.
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References

Chan, N. Y., Chan, J. W. Y., Li, S. X., & Wing, Y. K. (2021). Non-pharmacological Approaches

for Management of Insomnia. Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for

Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, 18(1), 32–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-021-01029-2

Chaput, J. P., McHill, A. W., Cox, R. C., Broussard, J. L., Dutil, C., da Costa, B. G. G., Sampasa-

Kanyinga, H., & Wright, K. P., Jr (2023). The role of insufficient sleep and circadian

misalignment in obesity. Nature reviews. Endocrinology, 19(2), 82–97.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-022-00747-7

Jones, C. L., Jensen, J. D., Scherr, C. L., Brown, N. R., Christy, K., & Weaver, J. (2015). The

Health Belief Model as an explanatory framework in communication research: exploring

parallel, serial, and moderated mediation. Health communication, 30(6), 566–576.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2013.873363

Sleep Foundation. (2021, April 12). What Makes a Good Night's Sleep? Retrieved from

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/what-makes-good-nights-sleep