We all want to be in good shape, but whether it’s exercising or controlling our diet, or even if you’ve done both, you’re seeing slow or no results. Don’t worry though, because there’s another important tip: getting enough and quality sleep.
According to many studies, people who are sleep deprived or who sleep less than 6 hours a night for a long time or make it a habit, will have an unconscious increase in appetite, sweets, and frequent snacks, which leads to an excessive increase in calories and, eventually, obesity.
- Ghrelin regulates hunger, and is released from cells in the stomach as a signal to the brain that it is hungry.
- Leptin is released by fat cells. It is responsible for reducing hunger, as it is a signal to the brain that it is ‘full’.
Therefore, when our body does not sleep enough, the body releases more ghrelin and less leptin, making it easy to become hungry. I then have to keep looking for something to eat.
How does quality sleep help you lose weight?
- Not getting enough sleep is another major factor in obesity as it can result in a higher body mass index (BMI) compared to those who get enough sleep.
- When we sleep, we stop eating. Therefore, the more we sleep, the less likely we are to eat more than necessary, especially the bad late-night meals that increase our body weight. In addition, not getting enough sleep also affects brain function. This presents the opportunity to make unhealthy choices such as eating late at night or choosing unhealthy foods, and foods that contain more sugar or fat. Our work rate slows down due to insufficient restful sleep, so the brain tries to find a brain stimulant, which is sugar.
- Because not getting enough sleep will make us hungry more often. According to many studies, people who don’t get enough sleep tend to have a higher appetite and are hungry more often. Our body will produce:
- Ghrelin, a hormone that sends more hunger signals to the brain. at the same time
- Leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger and makes us feel full, is produced less. As a result, we feel hungrier and hungry more often.
- Because sleep can affect energy metabolism: When our body burns less energy, it will cause us to store more calories. This causes an increase in body weight.
- Because sleep gives us more energy to exercise, it makes us feel lively and strong enough to engage in various activities, especially exercise. For the reasons mentioned, sleep is important for effective weight loss. Those who want to lose weight effectively should not neglect getting enough sleep. At the same time, those who love sleeping and want to lose weight should also remember to control their diet and to exercise regularly so that they achieve the most effective weight loss results.
References
Schmid SM, Hallschmid M, Jauch-Chara K, et al. A single night of sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels and feelings of hunger in normal-weight healthy men. J Sleep Res. 2008;17:331–334
Morselli L, Leproult R, Balbo M, Spiegel K. Role of sleep duration in the regulation of glucose metabolism and appetite. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010;24:687–702.
Spiegel K, Tasali E, Leproult R, et al. Twenty-four-hour profiles of acylated and total ghrelin: relationship with glucose levels and impact of time of day and sleep. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96:486–493.
