Weight Loss is considered by many, a simple process. Eat less and move more to create a calorie deficit. It is a simple process in theory but there are many factors that can make it more challenging. Genetics, health conditions, body type, lifestyle factors all play a role in making it challenging to lose weight.
Sleep is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to weight control. New research shows the more you sleep the less you eat. A study done on 80 overweight people suggested that adults who are better rested consume significantly fewer calories than those who are chronically sleep-deprived.
The new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, reinforces earlier findings indicating that people who sleep less consume more calories — and even crave higher-calorie foods — compared with those who sleep for longer periods.
About one-third of Americans don’t sleep the recommended seven to nine hours each night, Dr. Frates notes, and this shortfall is linked to many chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
But why might extra sleep matter when it comes to weight loss? Sleep duration has long been linked to the body’s production of appetite-regulating hormones. Insufficient sleep is associated with higher levels of the hormone ghrelin, which increases appetite, and lower levels of the hormone leptin, which leads to feeling less full. This sets people up to gain weight. By contrast, sleeping more could alter these hormones and bring them back to balance.
People also feel more energised, alert and happier when they are getting enough sleep. This leads to more general activity and better food choices.
Takeaway tactics to improve your sleep
A few key tactics from the study could help you improve how long you sleep — and possibly help you take in fewer calories:
- Keep a sleep log
- Monitor sleep times with wrist actigraphy devices such as smartwatches
- Evaluate bedtime routines to tweak factors influencing sleep duration
- Limit use of electronic devices at least an hour before bed.