The amount of sleep you get is as important as diet and exercise if you want to lose weight. Many people don’t get enough sleep. There is increasing evidence that sleep may be the key to many people struggling with weight loss. We all need sleep, but we often forget to prioritize it. You can be at greater risk for certain health conditions such as obesity if you get less sleep each night than recommended.
According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine a shorter sleep time than the recommended 7 hours per night could increase your risk of developing adverse health outcomes such as:
- Weight gain
- obesity
- Heart disease
- Depression
- Stroke
Here are six reasons that getting enough sleep can help you lose weight.
1. Short sleep may help to avoid weight gain
A higher body mass index (BMI), and weight gain have been linked repeatedly to short sleep, which is usually less than 6-7 hours. A 20-study analysis that included 300,000 people revealed a 41% increase in obesity risk for adults who slept less than 7 hours each night. Adults who slept longer than 7 hours per night did not develop obesity.
Another study showed that shorter sleep duration was significantly associated with a larger waist circumference. This is an indicator of excess belly fat. Similar results have been found in other studies.
Similar associations have been found in adolescents and children, according to studies.
A recent review of 33 intervention and observational studies found that short sleep duration was associated with an increased risk for obesity. It was interesting to note that BMI scores dropped for each additional hour of sleep.
A review of numerous observational studies also found that short sleep duration was associated with a significantly higher chance of obesity in these age groups.
- Infancy 40% higher risk
- Early childhood: 57% higher risk
- Middle Childhood: 123% Increased Risk
- Adolescence 30% greater risk
A major study found that children who slept infrequently were more likely to be obese than those who slept longer. This was between 30-45% and 40%.
Although lack of sleep is not the only factor that causes obesity, research shows it can have a negative impact on hunger levels. This could lead to a person eating more high-fat, high-sugar foods.
This could be done by increasing hunger hormone levels and decreasing leptin.
Ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger to the brain, is released from the stomach. The levels are highest before eating when your stomach is full, and then they drop after you eat. Leptin is a hormone that’s released from fat cells. It reduces hunger and signals fullness to the brain.
Bad sleep can also lead to a decrease in the sympathetic nervous system and an increase in cortisol, which is a hormone that is related to stress. It can also suppress hormones such as insulin-like growth factors 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is associated with greater fat storage.
Many sleep disorders such as sleep disorders may worsen with weight gain. This can lead to poor sleep, which in turn leads to weight gain and poor sleep.
2. This may help to reduce your appetite
Sleeping enough can help you avoid calorie intake and increase in appetite.
Numerous studies have shown that those who lack sleep experience an increase in appetite and a greater daily intake of calories.
One review found that sufferers of sleep deprivation ate an additional 385 calories daily, with a higher than normal amount of calories coming from fat.
Another study found that sleep deprivation can lead to significant increases in hunger and food cravings, as well as increased portion sizes and intakes of chocolate and fat.
Sleep on hunger hormones Ghrelin, and Leptin is thought to partly explain the increase in food intake.
Insufficient sleep can cause your body to produce more ghrelin, and less leptin and leave you hungry.
3. Sleep may help you make better food decisions
A full night of sleep can help you make better food choices.
Sleep deprivation can alter the brain’s ability to make decisions and could lead to a change in your brain’s functioning. This can make it more difficult to resist temptations and make healthy food choices.
It appears that food stimulates the brain’s reward centers more when it is sleep-deprived.
One study showed that people who were sleep-deprived had higher reward-related brain reactions after seeing images of high-calorie food. They were also more likely than those with adequate sleep to pay more for food.
After a bad night’s sleep, you will likely find it more rewarding to eat ice cream than to practice self-control.
Another study found that people who are sleep deprived have a higher sensitivity to high-calorie foods and a greater appetite.
In addition, a lack of sleep can lead to poorer food choices. For example, a higher intake of sugar, calories, and fat to make up for the lack of energy.
4. It is better to sleep early than to snack late at night.
You may be able to go to bed earlier and avoid late-night snacking.
If you push your bedtime forward, it means that you stay up later, which opens up more time for food preparation, especially if dinner has been a long time.
If you have dinner at 6 p.m. and stay up until 1 a.m. each night, it’s likely that you will be hungry between dinner and bedtime.
You may choose to eat less nutritious foods if you are already suffering from sleep deprivation. Because sleep deprivation can cause an increase in your appetite and a craving for high-calorie, high-fat foods.
It is interesting to note that late-night consuming is associated more with weight gain, a higher body mass index, and decreased fat burning — making it harder for people to lose weight.
Eating too close to bedtime, particularly large meals can make sleep deprivation worse. People with sleep disorders such as acid reflux, indigestion, or acid reflux may need to reduce their food intake before bed.
It is best to limit food intake between 2 and 3 hours before you go to bed. If you feel hungry, try eating a small amount of protein-rich food, such as Greek Yogurt or cottage cheese.
5. Potential benefits to your metabolism
You can avoid a decrease in your metabolism by getting enough sleep.
Your resting metabolic rates (RMR) are the calories that your body burns at rest. Many factors can affect it, including:
- Age
- Weight
- Höhe
- Sex
- muscle mass
Interestingly, your RMR may also be affected by the length of your sleep.
A study that included 47 participants examined how sleep restriction affects RMR. The experimental group slept normal for 2 nights (baseline), then went through 5 days of sleep restriction, with 4 hours each night.
They finally had one night of “catch up” sleep during which they slept 12 hours.
Participants’ RMR decreased significantly during the five-day sleep restriction compared to the baseline. After the “catch-up” sleep, however, participants’ RMRs returned to normal. Their RMR did not change in the control group.
The study shows that sleep deprivation can reduce RMR. However, you might be able to increase your RMR by getting enough sleep at night.
Other studies show that there are no changes in metabolism when you sleep less. This suggests that energy expenditure could actually rise if you sleep longer.
More research is required to find out if and how sleep loss affects metabolism.
A lack of sleep can also cause fat oxidation (the process of converting fat cells to energy).
A study showed that people with different body types, ages and body compositions had significantly lower basal fat-oxidation levels after sleep deprivation. RMR was not affected.
Poor quality sleep can also be a factor in decreasing muscle synthesis, which could lead to lower RMR.
A small study found that muscle synthesis dropped by 18% after one night of sleep deprivation, and plasma testosterone fell by 24%. Cortisol also significantly increased by 21%. These conditions all contribute to muscle loss.
This study was short and only lasted for 1 day, which is a major limitation. Other studies have also shown that sleep deprivation does not affect muscle growth and repair. Therefore, more studies are required.
6. Physical activity can be enhanced by sleeping
There is a close relationship between sleep and physical activity. Lack of sleep can lead to decreased physical activity and worsened sleep.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that regular exercise can reduce the time taken to fall asleep, and improve the quality of sleep for all ages.
A lack of sleep can also cause daytime fatigue. This makes it less likely that you will be motivated to exercise and more likely to be sedentary.
This can lead to a decrease in calories being burned when you are tired than after a good night’s sleep. This can make it more difficult to achieve a calorie surplus for weight reduction.
In addition, your ability to perform at your best can be affected by a lack of sleep.
- Reaction time
- fine motor skills
- muscular power
- endurance
- problem-solving skills
You may also be at greater risk of injury, and it could delay your recovery.
To stay active, you must get enough sleep.
Tips to promote healthy sleep hygiene
Healthy sleep habits will improve your ability to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep throughout the night. These are some suggestions to help you get started.
- You should have a nightly routine with time for relaxation, such as taking a bath, listening or reading, and waking up in the morning.
- You can transform your bedroom into a peaceful, healthy sleeping environment by dimming all lights and setting the thermostat at 65 degrees F (18.3 degrees C).
- Try to get up in the morning and go to bed at night at about the same time every day.
- Before you go to bed, turn off all electronic devices, including your phone, TV, and computer, at least 60 minutes in advance.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evenings. Also, don’t eat large meals that are high-fat.
- Mindfulness meditation, deep breathing and other relaxation techniques can help reduce stress levels.
- Do 30 minutes or more of physical and/or exercise each day.
- If you are having trouble sleeping or if your sleep habits aren’t helping, talk to your doctor.
The takeaway
Exercise and diet are only one piece of the weight loss puzzle. The number on the scale could also be affected by how much quality sleep you get each night.
Healthy sleep habits, such as avoiding caffeine before bed and sticking to a schedule, can help you lose weight.