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Are you eating well, exercising but still struggling to lose weight? Not getting enough sleep can be one of the reasons.
Sleep more, Weigh less
Yes, it is true! Being short on sleep can really affect your weight. Sleep is like nutrition for the brain. A research has found that sleep disorders and weight gain go hand-in-hand. So, if you’re still struggling to shed those extra kilos, maintain a healthy body, you need to count on your sleeping hours. Getting enough shut-eye is as important to health, wellbeing and weight as are diet and exercise.
Sleep deprivation “the royal route to obesity” quoted by Dr. Eve Van Cauter.
Several researches have concluded that insufficient sleep can lead to weight gain, which can lead to a serious problem sleep apnea, which further produces more sleep deprivation and more packing on the kilos. Research has also proven that people who get enough sleep have lower BMI in comparison to those who sleep less. Sleep deprivation makes you metabolically groggy, increases your hunger and appetite. Lack in sleep, you experience many changes to your body that can lead to weight gain.
Hormonal Disaster: Sleep deprivation causes changes to hormones that regulate hunger and appetite Leptin and Ghrelin. Leptin controls the appetite and encourages body to expand energy if a person is not getting enough sleep. Ghrelin on the other hand boosts feelings of hunger. What happens when you are not getting enough sleep or not sleeping properly, ghrelin goes up, send signals to brain to eat more and consume more calories whereas leptin goes down, which ends up in the failure to achieve weight loss goals.
Causes stress and slows Metabolism: Lack of sleep makes way for stress. If you don’t sleep properly, your mind will not rest. As a result it makes you more prone to falls, risk for accidents, injuries and other health problems. Inadequate sleep boosts your body to release stress hormones to overcome the stressful situation. These hormones can slow down your metabolic functioning. Your concentration, creativity and problem-solving skills aren’t up to par when you don’t get enough rest.
Risk for Diabetes: a lack of sleep affects your body’s release of insulin. It has been observed that people who don’t sleep properly have high blood sugar levels and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Adding up the calories: One of the most harmful effects of less sleep is that it can increases your weakness for high-calorie foods. If you do not get enough sleep, you will most likely to opt for easy ready packet foods which are high on calories. As a result, your calorie intake will increase and eventually your weight.
In a nutshell, sleep deprivation is caused by consistent lack of sleep. Sleeping less than 7 hours a day can eventually lead to other health problems like hypertension, heart attack, diabetes, weakened immune system, nervous disorders, anxiety and depression. So, if you have sleeping disorders and not able to get enough sleep try rectifying it with an improved doze of 6-7 hours of sleep.
