The Connection Between Sleep And Weight Loss  

How Does Sleep Affect Weight Loss?

Most of us view sleep as a mere necessity to rest. But your body works quite hard during sleep. Repairing itself, dealing with hormones, and keeping your metabolism in check can all occur while sleeping. When not getting enough quality sleep, one struggles with hunger, fat, and energy level regulation, all of which make losing weight much harder.

A full night’s sleep leaves you recharged, feeling your metabolism works optimally and cravings are minimised. Sleeping poorly, however, puts the body in survival mode. Metabolism slows, entirely undesirable foods become craved, and fat is hoarded rather than burned. This explains why sleep is often regarded as the elusive key to weight loss. 

What Is The Significance Of Sleep In Relation To Weight Loss?  

These are some of the ways in which proper sleep can aid in your weight loss journey:

• Moderates appetite-related hormone levels - Adequate sleep maintains proper levels of ghrelin (hunger hormone) while increasing leptin (fullness hormone).  
• Avoids cravings - Insufficient sleep heightens the desire for high-calorie and sugary snacks, resulting in overeating.  
• Enhances metabolism - Sleep allows the body to burn calories more efficiently.  
• Promotes muscle recovery - Doing so helps construct lean muscle tissue, which requires more calories.  
• Decreases stress-related hormones - Lowers belly fat-storing cortisol.  

What is your average sleep duration? If the answer is less than 7 hours, sleep could be hindering your progress! Try to achieve 7 – 9 hours of sleep to enhance weight loss.

What Happens When You Don’t Sleep Enough?

Now, sleep is important for more than just feeling fresh. Not getting enough sleep will set your body off balance. Think of how well you would execute a plan if your engine were faulty, your fuel were bad, and your battery were low. Well, that is what happens to your body if you do not get enough sleep. All the systems in your body are trying to balance, but are not working efficiently.

It is common to feel too lazy to do anything when feeling sleepy or tired. Additionally, when trying to lose weight, instead of burning fat, your body will tend to store more fat to compensate for the low energy.  

Increased Hunger & Cravings

Have you ever noticed that after a poor night’s sleep, you crave sugary or high-carb foods? That’s because sleep deprivation messes with your hunger hormones:  

Let’s check how sleep deprivation negatively impacts your hunger.  

• Ghrelin increases: Sleep deprivation results in an increased secretion of Ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone responsible for making a person feel hungry.
• Leptin decreases: Segmented decreases of leptin are also noticed in people suffering from sleep deprivation. It tells you when to stop eating, and during a sleep-deprived period, it does not satisfy you after the meal is done.
• Cravings spike: Dieters often tend to consume sugary fast foods to get quick energy without realising how much weight they are actually putting on.

Did you find yourself wanting to reach out for a doughnut, some chips, or even fast food after not having a good night’s sleep? Well, that is your body mechanism trying to draw out quick energy. 

Slower Metabolism & More Fat Storage

The metabolism primarily deals with the calories that are used up by the body, like an engine. This means the calories are going to be burned only when you sleep. The metabolism runs well when there is sleep, and everything runs smoothly; thus, the body is able to burn fat. But in case there is no sleep:

• Metabolism is much slower: The body needs sleep to function smoothly, so it burns fewer calories at rest. 
• Fat storage rises: This is where the magic happens, and the body starts storing fat, typically around the belly.
• Blood sugar levels go up: The blood sugar is always high if the person sleeps poorly, as the casein in milk lowers insulin sensitivity and also makes the person more prone to gaining weight and diabetes. 

To put it in simpler terms, sleep affects your metabolism. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body will start acting as if there has been a sugar overdose, even if that’s not the case. Lack of sleep has the same effect as a bad diet.

Increased Stress and Emotional Eating

The body goes into stress mode when you fall short on rest. And what do you do when you are in stress mode? You consume more food!

• Stress hormone impact: Cortisol rises with stress. This hormone instructs the body to form belly fat. 
• Emotional eating goes along the lines: Without sleep, you are more likely to eat fried foods, chocolates, and pizza.
• Metabolism slows: The muscle tissues are broken down by high cortisol, slowing down further metabolism.

In the morning, do you crave junk food after a rough night? That is a side effect of cortisols!

Recovery And Reduced Workout Effectiveness  

Exercise is an important part of weight reduction. But did you know that lack of sleep reduces the effectiveness of workouts?

• Decreased energy levels: Sleeping poorly makes one feel burnt out and reduces one’s motivation to work out.
• Muscle repair:  Muscles repair and grow when you are in deep sleep. Less sleep means weaker muscles.
• Less movement leads to lower calories burnt:  Feeling exhausted means movement is reduced, so you burn fewer calories.

Have you ever completely missed working out because you felt excessively tired? That is a plunge into deeper sleep.

Best Sleep Habits For Weight Loss

Losing weight doesn’t have to feel like continuously fighting through a restrictive diet and relentless workouts. What if the answer to getting rid of extra weight was as simple as getting better sleep? The astonishing part is that sleep improvement is simple, does not cost a dime, and offers numerous advantages apart from losing weight.  

With slight tweaks to your routine, you will improve the quality of your sleep, and your body can work while you are resting. Ready to improve and evolve your weight loss and sleeping journey? Let’s check it out!

Have A Fixed Sleep Time

Do you know those people who wake up feeling refreshed? They are the ones who aren’t smashing the snooze button. The reason for this is proper circadian rhythm, which is the body’s internal clock.  

Your body goes through a regular cycle that controls the periods of sleeping and waking. Having the same bedtime and wake-up time on a daily basis (including weekends) will allow the body to adjust over time, which leads to deeper and more restful sleep.

When sleep is irregular, it makes the craving for food stronger, the rate of metabolism slower, and the storage of fat higher.  

Actionable Tip:  Try setting an alarm for your bedtime. Similar to waking up at a fixed time, going to sleep at a particular time also needs to be regulated to make your biological clock function properly.  

Do you consistently go to bed and wake up at a fixed time? If not, what small change are you willing to implement today?   

Avoid Late-Night Eating  

Have you ever thought about snacking just before going to bed? Late-night cravings are, in fact, very common. However, indulging in them can get in the way of how well you sleep and manage your weight.  

Eating just before bedtime alters the body’s cycle of digestion.  

Eating a late-night snack causes a surge in the level of insulin in the body, which enhances the speed at which fat is stored.  

Consuming a massive amount of food at night is directly proportional to an increase in weight and a decrease in metabolism.  

• What Should You Avoid? Heavy meals, alcohol, and caffeine at least 2-3 hours before sleeping.  
• What Can You Eat Instead? If you are absolutely famished, snack on light, protein-rich snacks such as nuts, a banana, or Greek yoghurt, which will help you fall asleep.

What is your favourite late-night snack? If assumed, is it possible to swap it out for something healthier the next time onwards?  

Create A Relaxing Night Routine

Does Having a Routine Before Bed Boost the Level of Sleep Quality?  

Unwinding for Bed: What is included in your winding-down process before going to bed? If mindlessly scrolling on your phone lies within that routine, it is highly likely that your winding-down process is counterproductive.  Bright screens (blue light) hinder the production of melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for helping you sleep.  

Stress and anxiety keep your brain alert, which inhibits the ability to relax, making the entire exercise harder.  

Following the proper bedtime routine cues your brain to know that it is time to rest, therefore improving the quality of sleep greatly.

Best Relaxation Techniques Before Bed:

• An hour before bed, the lights start dimming.  
• Never use screens. Instead, utilise the time to read a book.  
• Engage in practising meditation and deep breathing, or enjoy a warm bath.

Tip: Designate a timer for yourself to avoid screens and trade your phone for an enjoyable book.  

Read The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Relaxing Bedtime Routine and Improving Sleep Quality.

Engage In Daylight Activities Like Exercising  

What you do in the morning alters the sleep quality that you experience at night.  

Exposure to sunlight in the morning significantly helps regulate one’s circadian rhythm.  

Exercise is beneficial for increasing deep sleep. However, strenuous activity too close to bedtime can be counterproductive.

Adjusting Everyday Habits for Improved Sleep:

• After waking up, be sure to get exposure to sunlight within 30 minutes.
• Regular physical activity should be completed at least 3 hours before bedtime.
• Morning walk hack: A 10 - 20 minute walk in the morning offers improvement in both sleep and metabolism!

Can you decide to step outside for a 10-minute walk tomorrow morning?

Optimise Your Sleep Environment

Have you ever, for example, suddenly woken up in the middle of the night feeling overly hot or just uncomfortable but also, for some reason, unable to move?

The environment in which you rest is essential for the quality of sleep you get.

Recommended adjustments most people can make:

• Set the temperature of your bedroom to an appropriate degree that is comfortable for you to sleep. Block light with blackout curtains or an eye mask.
• The mattress and pillows used have to be comfortable.
• Calming music or white noise may improve sleep.

Tip: Take a look around your bedroom tonight. What one thing can you change that will help make your bedroom more conducive to sleep?  

Foods Helpful for Losing Weight And Better Sleep  

Did you know that eating sleep-inducing foods can be an excellent way to get in shape?  

Best sleep-promoting foods for weight loss:  

• Bananas: Have magnesium, known for muscle relaxation.  
• Almonds & Walnuts: Contain a good amount of melatonin, enhancing sleep.  
• Cherries: Help boost melatonin levels.  
• Salmon & Tuna: Rich in omega-3, improving sleep quality.  
• Chamomile tea: Helps reduce anxiety and induces deep sleep.  

Avoid Sugary foods, caffeine, and alcohol before bed.

Tip: Consider a light protein-packed meal, such as chicken with vegetables, to help improve sleep and manage weight.

Wrapping It Up

Consider your workouts—you’re killing them, and you’re eating well, but if you’re not getting enough sleep, your body is working against you! Sleep deprivation is known to lower a person’s metabolism, increase appetite, and create a state in the body that burns fat more slowly.

But here’s the interesting thing: tiny actions can lead to major results! If you want to train yourself to become more disciplined and focused, initially, try incorporating just one new habit, like going to bed at a specific time instead of scrolling through your phone or switching out your snacks for ones that encourage calmness and relaxation. Then, gradually adopt these tips step by step