Sleep plays an influential role in weight loss. If you’re trying to lose stubborn pounds or keep them off, it’s important to be aware of how sleep can affect you. Whether it’s how much, how little, or when to sleep, continue reading for ways to balance sleep and weight loss in your life.
Getting a good night’s rest and your weight
Source: Athea Supplements
When you haven’t slept well, you’re more likely to eat more. Sleep deprivation can lead to impaired decision-making, like an increased tendency to eat junk food and skip out on exercise. Insufficient sleep also impacts the hormones that control hunger and the feeling of being ‘full,’ particularly ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin helps your brain realize you need to eat, and less sleep results in increased amounts of ghrelin. Leptin signals your brain that you’re finally ‘full,’ but less sleep limits the production of leptin.
What happens when you sleep? Interestingly enough, have you ever noticed that you weigh less in the morning, right after you’ve woken up? According to NPR, this is because you lose both carbon and water weight when you’re sleeping.
How much sleep should you be getting?
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has declared appropriate sleep duration times to function at your very best. For teenagers (14-17), 8-10 hours is appropriate. For young adults (18-25), sleeping for 7-9 hours is best. For adults (26-64), sleep should range from 7-9 hours as well. For older adults (65+), 7-8 hours is the optimal amount.
Ways to lose weight in your sleep
Set a regular sleep schedule. According to Forbes, people who maintain a regular sleep routine have a lower percentage of body fat than those with irregular schedules. This also had to do with how much you sleep; getting less than 6.5 hours or more than 8.5 hours of sleep can lead to higher amounts of body fat. Additionally, ‘good night’s rest’ quality sleep results in lower body fat, while a ‘bad night’s rest’ is associated with higher body fat.
Source: Odyssey Online
Limit your time in the kitchen. Although this seems like a no-brainer, restricting the amount of time you spend snacking at night can make a big difference. It’s okay to snack throughout the day, but set limits for yourself at night.
Lose the electronics. While it’s common knowledge that using devices right before bed can affect sleep, this can also translate into weight gain. Remember, poor sleeping habits can lead to increased body fat!
Even with these easy ways to lose weight in your sleep, this doesn’t rule out the benefits of exercising while awake. Instead, combine healthy exercise and eating habits with a steady sleep routine, and you’ll see those pounds fall right off.
Click here for more tips on how to lose weight in your sleep, and click here for ways to get a better night’s sleep
