Are your sleep habits affecting your weight?

It’s not uncommon to believe that sleep is for the lazy and the undisciplined, or that keeping busy and running on as little sleep as possible is a point of pride. People who get lots of sleep are often considered lethargic and out of shape, while being fit is assumed to mean that you’re always full of energy, and therefore require less sleep. In reality, sleep is one of our body’s most essential needs, and forgoing it can cost you big.

Sleep isn’t only for recharging our figurative batteries.

When we sleep, our bodies are working overtime to release hormones into our system, digest food, repair tissue, and run system checks to make sure everything’s working. When we say our body is a machine, it’s very true, and that machine can overheat and break down if you don’t maintain in properly. Proper maintenance means proper rest. Sleep is a very passive activity, and as such, many people assume it’s doing nothing to help with weight loss and, in fact, may actually be a detriment to weight loss goals. This is completely untrue. When you sleep, two of the hormones your body releases — Leptin and Ghrelin — specifically affect your appetite. Without a proper amount of sleep, these hormone levels get thrown out of whack, which in turn can cause issues with your eating habits. In particular, Leptin is the hormone that lets you know when it’s time to stop eating. Without enough of it in your system, it’s incredibly easy to overeat.

Most of us get our best night’s rest when we hit about 6.5-8 hours of sleep every night. Numerous studies show that people getting a proper amount of sleep are more likely to have lower body fat than people who get too much or too little, and consistency is key. If you don’t have any sort of set sleep schedule, your irregular sleeping habits can throw your body off its game, according to a study from Brigham Young University.

Even if you think you’re bursting with energy and endorphins post-exercise, refusing to get enough sleep can leave you waking up groggy and tired, and you’re psychologically less likely to make good choices when you feel that way. When we’re tired, it’s so much easier to reach for pre-made and processed foods rather than tackling a healthy cooked meal. You may even decide it’s okay to skip your workout for the day to catch up on rest, and before you know it, it’s become a habit. This can lead to stress, which can impact our eating habits, and the cycle continues.

Pay close attention to what you eat before going to bed. You don’t have to go to bed on an empty stomach, despite what all the old myths say, but eating acidic or fatty foods could result in acid reflux or gallbladder pain that keeps you up in the middle of the night. Keep a food diary if it helps you figure out what’s affecting your sleep.

If you need help figuring out how to work within your schedule and maximize your weight loss, give us a call!