Sleep And Weight Loss: Are They Really Related

Exercise and a sensible eating plan are essential if you want to shed pounds, but so does getting more shut-eye. As a result, a large percentage of the population is chronically sleep-deprived.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims^[5] that approximately 35 percent of American adults sleep less than seven hours per night regularly.

Sleep deprivation is defined as having less than^[6] seven hours of uninterrupted shut-eye per night.

Interestingly, increasing evidence suggests that lack of sleep may be the reason why many people are unable to shed pounds.

To shed pounds, these are some of the benefits of getting sufficient sleep-

1. Better Sleep Can Moderate Your Appetite

   When you’re sleep-deprived, you may experience an increase in your caloric intake and an increase in your hunger.

   A lack of sleep has been linked to increased hunger and higher calorie consumption in the general population, according to numerous^[7] scientific research.

   Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased caloric intake of 385 calories a day, with a higher percentage of those calories derived from fat than is typical.

   Furthermore, sleep deprivation was linked to an increase in the desire for junk food and larger portions, as well as an increase in the consumption of chocolate and fat.

   Ghrelin and leptin, hunger hormones, are believed^[8] to play a role in the rise in food consumption and energy balance in the body.

2. Effective In Stress Level And Anxiety

   The stress hormone cortisol, which induces water retention and stimulates hunger, is elevated in people who don’t get enough rest.

   When you’re stressed, your body wants to simulate serotonin, which helps^[9] you relax, and the quickest way to achieve this is to eat high-fat, high-carb foods.

   Taking an adequate amount of sleep can prohibit you from getting stressed. If you face anxiety issues, you might want to follow points on how to sleep better with anxiety.

3. Short-Term Sleep Deprivation Is Linked To An Increased Risk Of Weight Gain

   Many studies have connected a lack of sleep (defined as less than seven hours per night) to a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight gain.
   Moreover, as per this^[10] randomized study, lack of sleep could make you tend to eat more calorie-dense foods and it might become too hard to resist eating them.

   Obesity risk was 41% higher among adults who slept less than 7 hours each night, according to a review of 20 research that included 300,000 people.

   However, those who slept more were less likely to become obese than those who slept less. Having a smaller waist circumference is a good indicator of the growth of belly fat, according to another study.

4. Being Well-Rested May Help You Make Better Food Choices

   A lack of sleep affects the normal functioning of your brain and can influence your decision-making.

   As a result, it may be more difficult to stick to a healthy diet and avoid indulging in unhealthy temptations. The reward areas of the brain appear to be more triggered by food in case you are sleep deprived, according to new research.

   It has been shown that sleep-deprived people exhibit stronger brain reward responses when they are shown images of high-calorie foods.

   People who didn’t get enough sleep were also shown to be more^[11] inclined to spend more money on food than those who did.

   The chocolate and snacks stored in your refrigerator are more enticing after a restless night’s sleep, and you’ll have a harder time restraining yourself from indulging.

5. Sleep and Metabolism are Linked

   One could easily understand that sleep and metabolism are closely related. For this very reason, a night of proper sleep is one of the best ways and most natural ways to boost metabolism.

   Slumber is like food for the mind. Most people require between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Getting less than that will cause different kinds of responses from your body.

   Sleep deprivation causes an increase^[12] in cortisol. This stress hormone tells your body to save energy to have enough to last you through the night.

   A study indicated that dieters’ fat loss plummeted by 55% when they reduced their sleep by 14 hours during 14 days, even though their calorie intake remained unchanged.

   As a result, they were constantly on the verge of becoming hungry and unmotivated even hours after eating.

   Scientists at the University of Chicago suggest that being “metabolically sluggish” is caused by chronic sleep loss.

   It takes four days for your body to lose its capacity to digest insulin, a hormone that converts sugar, carbohydrates, and other food into energy.

   The researchers discovered a substantial reduction in insulin sensitivity, which calculated a decrease of almost 30%.