Your Sleep Affects Your Weight
Sleep is important
According to a survey by Consumer Report, 27% of people had trouble with sleep. 68% of people said they struggled with sleep at least once a week. There are many negative effects to lack of sleep, such as heart issues and fatigue. Unfortunately, weight gain is one of those negative effects. How is it possible, you may ask? Wouldn't food and a lack of exercise lead to weight gain? Yes, but sleep plays an unseen factor on your weight scale that most are unaware of. If you're not getting the sleep you need, it will make getting rid of it that more difficult.
Content
- Less sleep, more weight
- More sleep, less weight
"We are not medical professionals. This is for informative purposes only, so please see your doctor for any medical advice!"
Less sleep, more weight
A study conducted by the University of Colorado found that 5 hours of sleep a night (in one week) saw an average weight gain of 2 pounds to its participants. If you're not getting the quality of sleep you need, then the consequences are less than desirable. Lack of sleep will create two factors against weight loss:
- Cravings
- Diabetes
The younger you are, the harder it will be on your health. If you're struggling to lose weight, despite everything else you've done, then consider lack of sleep, too. It may not be dieting or exercising, after all. Some people have a genetic predisposition in which they gain weight faster than others. It's an unfortunate fact of life, but don't let that get you down! Losing weight, no matter who you are, is possible.
Cravings
Hunger is generally controlled by two hormones: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is mostly produced in the stomach and known as the "hunger hormone". It's secreted to stimulate your appetite, or hunger. It is also known to regulate your body weight over time. When ghrelin circulates in our bloodstream, it increases food intake by 30%.
Another hormone is leptin. Leptin is secreted from our fat cells and helps us maintain that weight over time. When levels of ghrelin increase, leptin decreases. When it decreases, our brain will send a signal to our stomach and tell it to eat. If you ever worked a late-night shift before, then you probably had this feeling in the middle of the night.
A study of over 1,000 people has shown that there was an increase of ghrelin and a decrease of leptin of those who were sleep deprived. Starting to see the connection? Because we are sleep deprived, ghrelin will increase, letting us know we need to eat. At the same time leptin will decrease. This initiates the cravings we have.
Diabetes
Lack of sleep can lead to insulin-resistance. What does this mean? If your body becomes insensitive to insulin, then your blood-sugar will be high. Insulin is secreted from the pancreas to regulate blood-sugar, or glucose. Glucose is needed by your cells to function. Without insulin to regulate glucose, it will be converted into fat. This is the main cause of Type 2 Diabetes. This serious ailment can then lead to heart disease in the future.
How is this linked to sleep, then? When faced with sleep deprivation, your body's ability to respond to insulin will lessen over time. If your body cannot react to insulin the way it's supposed to, then more fat is stored. This will seriously hamper your ability to lose weight. In fact, this study has found that adequate amounts of sleep will ensure weight loss with dieting. The two are definitely connected.
More sleep, less weight
Not only does one need to exercise and diet, but they also need to get adequate amounts of sleep in-between. Knowing that you need good sleep is the first step in realizing your goal to lose weight. However, it can still present a challenge.
How much sleep do you need?
On average, a person needs 7 - 9 hours of sleep a night. Yet, it's not about the quantity of sleep you are getting. It's actually the quality of sleep you should be getting from them. Don't be mistaken, 3 hours of sleep will not give you the quality of sleep you need. Nor will the quality of sleep be adequate if you sleep 4 times that amount. There needs to be balance.
This balance could be achieved through your ideal sleep environment. We recommend you read our article if you're experiencing some sleep deprivation. In fact, one tip talks about eating and how it could affect your sleep. At the end of the day, like dieting or exercising, it all starts with you. You have the power to start sleeping right and getting the quality of sleep your body needs.
How does sleep affect weight loss?
Sleeping will keep your energy levels in-check. Ghrelin and leptin won't be affected due to lack of sleep. Your risk to diabetes won't be so high, either. It all starts with sleep! Good sleep. Remember we talked about the quality of sleep? Keep that in mind. The amount of time you spend sleeping is only important if you achieve quality sleep. If your sleep environment isn't ideal, then reconsider it. You need a place to rest peacefully and without distraction.
Deep sleep, also known as REM sleep, will give your body the time it needs to recharge and repair itself (down to the cellular level). This will also keep your mental faculties at optimal levels, keeping you stress free, and allowing more time at the gym. If you want to lose weight, then your head needs to be clear and focused on your goal. If you think you're getting enough sleep, but not the quality sleep you need, then think about your mattress. Refer to our guide to see if you need to replace your mattress. If you think you do, then read our guide to buying a new mattress.
Get your sleep!
Hopefully, you know how sleep affects your weight. Inadequate amounts of sleep will lead to hormonal imbalance. This in-turn will lead to undesirable cravings. If this continues, it could lead to diabetes in the future. Also remember the difference between the quantity and the quality of sleep. One cannot work without the other. Stay with your goal to lose weight, get good sleep, and stay disciplined!