Sleep And Weight Loss: Is There Any Connection Between Them | Fitelo

Recently, one of our dietitians was talking to a client who had tried to lose weight on his own but with very little success. He was following a well-balanced diet and drinking healthy, nutritious, and rich fresh juices. In short, he was leading a great, healthy lifestyle. So, where is he going wrong? A few minutes later in the conversation, our dietitian figured out the problem. The reason behind not losing an inch was not getting enough sleep. On that day, I, as a content writer, became so curious to find the relationship between sleep and weight loss that I thought of sharing my finding with our readers.

The reason for not getting proper sleep was that he was working at a call center and would get home late at night and hit the bed immediately. His daily routine was all jumbled up and had no proper time for eating meals. This routine he has been following for the past 3 years. Also, he was struggling with acidity and weight gain.

Yes, it is true that being short on sleep can really affect our weight loss journey. Many people often give importance to a balanced diet and workout but ignore many facts that may affect their journey. There are several studies that have shown links between how much people sleep and how much they weigh.

The Link Between Sleep And Weight Loss

As discussed above, when it comes to weight loss plan, many people think that only diet and regular exercise are the most crucial things to focus on. But many studies have shown there is a great link between sleep and weight.

So, here, let’s read and understand what science says about this connection:

• Being overweight can disrupt sleep quality and increase the risk of disorders such as obstructive sleeping. In this condition, the soft tissues in the back of our throat interfere with breathing.
• People who sleep more are likely to be leaner. In research, it is concluded that short sleep duration appears to be independently associated with weight gain.
• In a health study, approximately 69,000 women were tracked for 16 years, and it was found that women who slept 7-8 hours a night as compared to women who slept for 5 hours or less increased their obesity risk by 15-20%.
• There is an intervention study showing that improving sleep can prevent weight gain and the accumulation of body fat. People who continued to sleep less than 6 hours each night increased their fat mass and body mass index (BMI) significantly.
• Poor sleeping habits lead to many health issues, including weight gain, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Moreover, inadequate sleep also affects the human body’s ability to properly regulate blood sugar levels, resulting in increases in your diabetes, etc.

However, people who are staying up late at night have additional time to eat and are likely to include snacks, which lead to extra kilos.

Reasons Why Sleep And Weight Loss Are Interconnected

As per the many kinds of research, you can start your weight loss journey or maintain your weight from your bedroom. Boosting your sleep by just an hour a night can lead to reducing your calorie intake, helping sleep-deprived adults, etc.

So, let’s know more about how sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain:

1. Disrupts The Balance Of Key Hormones

The sleeping disorder leads to an imbalance of the key hormones that control the human body’s appetite. The two hormones such as “Ghrelin” and “leptin” help shape our appetite and hunger signals.

If we explain these two hormones, then ghrelin is the “go” hormone that tells the human body when to eat. Leptin tells the human body when to stop consuming food. 

Did you know the level of ghrelin decreases at night because the body is not required to generate energy while at rest? However, when people don’t sleep on time or are sleep deprived, they end up with too much ghrelin in their system.

Our body gets fooled into thinking that it is hungry and needs more calories. At the same time, there is also a decrease in leptin levels, which leaves us feeling hungry. This results in more ghrelin and leptin in our bodies and ends up with us gaining weight.

2. Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a common side effect that occurs due to sleep deprivation. There is a study that shows a single night of sleep deprivation can cause as much insulin resistance as six months on a high-fat diet.

All these leave us feeling tired and hungry more often than we should. This makes us reach out for more food, which results in a calorie surplus.

3. Heightened The Stress Levels

The more you are sleep-deprived, the higher your levels of the stress hormone cortisol will be. This causes water retention in the body and increases the human body’s appetite. Also, this leads to making poor food choices at the same time.

This happens because your body tries to produce serotonin to calm you down, and the easiest way to do this is to start consuming high-fat, high-carb foods. Thus, it leads to weight gain and hampers your weight loss journey.

4. Slows Down Your Metabolism

If anyone is lacking sleep, it will leave them too tired to exercise. This will result in fewer calorie burns and lead to low energy in the body.

How Do You Ensure To Get Enough Sleep For Weight Loss

Today in the world, buzzing or snoozing can be challenging because all your screens, such as phones, TVs, computers, tablets, laptops, etc., lure you to stay up longer the night.

Thus, the average human body requires 7-8 hours of sound sleep to function optimally, so here we are sharing a few points you can take care of to avoid sleep deprivation:

• Avoid Caffeinated Drinks After 3 PM

Try to exclude the consumption of caffeine after 3–4 PM. Caffeine is a stimulant and is disruptive to good sleep. As it has good energy properties that can keep you upright for late nights.

• Include A Glass Of Milk

Before going to sleep, try to include a glass of milk in your diet for weight loss. As it contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which helps the human body relax.

• Stop Using Electronic Gadgets Late At Night

We know the night is the only time when we can check our emails and messages. But the light emitted by the screens of your TVs, mobile, phones, etc. restrains the production of melatonin. There are hormones that control the circadian rhythm. This hormone also keeps the human brain alert.

• Early Dinner

Start including an early dinner in your meal plan. A late meal stimulates the digestive system instead of calming it. This leads to weight gain.

• Consume An Efficient Amount Of Water

In your weight loss journey, always take care that your body gets hydrated regularly. So, here, consuming water doesn’t lead to an increase in your water retention it only helps you stay hydrated.

Summary Of “Sleep And Weight Loss”

Sleep is an integral part of weight loss, and their connection is very strong. For example, when you don’t get enough sleep, every hormone in your body, starting from hunger to fat storage, gets impacted. This leads to overeating, belly fat, weight gain, and many other weight-gain issues.

Sometimes you may find it challenging to resist your craving and motivate yourself to the gym this will lead to losing less weight even when dieting. Apart from managing your sleeping pattern, you should also work on a balanced diet and exercise regularly.

Weight Loss Transformation Of A Girl Name Palak

Today we have a story to tell you of Palak’s weight loss transformation. She lost 11.5 Kg and overcome her PCOS issues with our customized diet plan. So, without a delay, let’s read more about her experience with Fitelo.

Palak Weight Loss Transformation In Which She Lost 11.5 Kgs

Fun Facts

Can we include rajmaha rice in our diet plan? Yes, we can. In fact, it will act as a bonus in your diet plan. Surprised? Let’s read the facts behind this and understand the concept in detail. Read Now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best Time To Sleep To Loss Weight?

The best time to sleep to lose weight is the time that matches your circadian rhythm. It is roughly the same time each night.

Does Sleep Affect Weight Loss?

Yes, sleep can affect your weight loss. Sleep deprivation can cause you to eat more calories, burn fewer calories, store fatter, and lose less weight, even when dieting.

Does Sleep Affect Your Weight?

Yes, sleep affects your weight. Not getting enough sleep can cause you to eat more calories, burn fewer calories, and store fatter and belly fat, and it increases your odds of obesity.

Why Is Sleep Important For Weight Loss?

Sleep is important for weight loss as it helps to keep your hunger hormones, glucose tolerance, and cortisol in check. It also keeps your self-control and energy high, so you’re more likely to eat well and exercise.

How Much Sleep Do You Need To Lose Weight?

You need to get your individual sleep need, the genetically determined amount of sleep you need each night, to maximize weight loss. The average sleep needed is 8 hours 40 minutes, plus or minus 10 minutes or so, but 13.5% of us may need 9 hours or more sleep a night.

Contact Us Today

We’re never leaving you hanging with doubts, queries, as well as confusing questions. We understand how all this information gets overwhelming as well as a little confusing on your way to a healthy lifestyle. Hence, you can always contact us at any time as our experts are here to guide you 24/7. Also, we will help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Disclaimer

This blog post was written to help you to make healthy and better food choices altogether. So, be aware and take care. The important thing to consider is your health before starting a restrictive diet. Always seek advice from a doctor/dietitian before starting if you have any concerns.

Eat Healthy, Live Healthy as well as Enjoy a long happy life.