Does Your Sleep Pattern And Habits Affect Your Weight?

Proper sleep is as mandatory as a healthy diet and regular workout if you want to lose weight. But, many people are unable to get a sound sleep of 6 to 8 hours. A survey has revealed that around 30% of the adults in the United States are getting fewer than six hours. For individuals aiming for weight loss, sleep, unfortunately, has become the missing factor.

Less sleep means more stress and anxiety, which in turn, leads to weight gain. So, below listed are a few reasons that will reveal whether your sleep pattern and habits affect your weight or not. Read them to know the utility of a sound sleep.

Poor Sleep Leads To Weight Gain And Obesity

Poor sleep has always been a reason for a higher BMI (body mass index) and weight gain. Different people have different sleep requirements, but a recent study suggests that people who sleep less than seven hours at night experience weight changes. Poor sleep accentuates the probability of obesity by almost 89% to 90%.

Another study reveals that people who sleep for five hours or less were most likely to undergo a 15% weight gain. This is compared to those who sleep a minimum of seven hours at night—a study on 15 adults who had five hours of sleep for five nights. The study found that they have put on 0.82 kg on an average. Poor sleep leads to weight gain, which goes on to deteriorate the sleep quality.

Poor Sleep Increases Appetite

People who are deprived of quality sleep experience an increase in their appetite. Sleep has an impact on leptin and ghrelin, the hunger hormones. The levels are on the higher side before eating and on the lower side post eating. Fat cells release leptin and suppress hunger.

It also communicates with the brain sending it a fullness signal. Now, when you are not getting sufficient sleep, more ghrelin and less leptin are released into the body. Thus, your appetite increases, and you get hungry. And people who sleep for less than six hours have higher BMIs. Also, Cortisol, the stress hormone, rises when you are sleep-deprived.

Sleep Helps In Making Healthy Food Choices

Inadequate sleep changes the way your brain functions. Owing to that, you find it tough to resist junk foods and those dishes which are mouth-watering yet unhealthy. The frontal lobe of your brain helps you in making decisions and practice self-control. Less sleep makes the frontal lobe dull. In case you have a night of poor sleep at night, you will have less self-control.

Therefore, a bowl of ice-cream would seem delicious after you get out of your bed. Poor sleep accentuates the affinity you have for foods to the limit that you won’t be able to restrict yourself from consuming high calories, fat, and carbs. The intake of unhealthy food will increase slowly with time.

Poor Sleep Increases Calorie Consumption

In a study, on12 men slept only for four hours and consumed around 559 calories the next day. This was in stark contrast to when they had full eight hours of sleep. An increase in appetite and choice of unhealthy food are the main reasons behind larger calorie consumption. Another strong reason is the time you are awake in a day.

The more you are awake, the more you will be hungry. The more you feel hungry, the greater will be the calorie intake. The greater is the calorie intake. The more is the weight gain. Research suggests that you end up consuming the lion’s share of the extra calories when you are awake and have snacks late into the night. You can’t control your portion sizes and consequently pile on more calories, leading to obesity.

Insufficient sleep changes the way how your body reacts to food. An increase in appetite leads to more cravings, which you are unable to control. Therefore, it becomes tough for you to keep your weight in check and lose those extra pounds. Healthy sleeping habits are a must if you don’t want to gain weight. So, make it a habit to hit the bed on time and treat yourself to a good night’s sleep every day. Good night, and sleep tight!