Sleep and Weight Loss
Did you know that research has established a link between sleep and weight loss?
In this article, we will discuss why sleeping enough can help you lose weight and even make it easier to maintain your weight.
Sleep and Fat Loss
When you don’t get enough sleep, it can be harder to lose weight or maintain your weight.
People who sleep less than six hours per night are 45% more likely to be obese.
According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, when dieters faced chronic sleep deprivation for 10 weeks, they felt hungrier and lost half as much weight and body fat as dieters who slept more. Both the sleep deprived people and the people who slept more ate the same number of calories per day.
Not getting enough sleep can mess up your hormones, reduce energy and activity and can increase your hunger.
Sleep deprivation can alter your leptin and ghrelin levels, making you feel more hungry throughout the day.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reported that when people slept less than six hours per night, they burned fewer calories, had lower leptin and higher ghrelin levels. In contrast, people in the study who slept more burned more calories and had lower hunger levels.
Other studies have found study participants had elevated cortisol levels when they did not sleep enough. Higher cortisol levels may increase fat storage and desire for high calorie foods.
A study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology found that people selected larger portion sizes when they had not slept well. People in the study struggled more with food control and willpower when sleep deprived.
Is Sleep Important for Weight Loss?
As you have learned, sleep is extremely important for weight loss, helping you to burn more calories, build more muscle and keep your hunger and cravings in check.
In contrast, not sleeping enough may make it harder to lose or maintain your weight.
How Many Hours of Sleep do you Need to Lose Weight?
Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Active people might need eight to ten hours of sleep per night. While you will still need to watch your calorie intake to lose weight, getting enough sleep might just make weight loss easier.
A good way to determine how much sleep you need is to go to bed at the same time every night. Aim to wake up when you feel rested.
If you need to wake up at a certain time daily, try to lay down in bed eight to nine hours before your alarm.
How to Lose Weight when Sleep Deprived?
If you can’t sleep more, pay special attention to your calorie intake and exercise levels. You will still need a calorie deficit to lose weight. Track your intake with food scales and prepare as much of your own food as possible. Step on a scale daily. And focus your gym efforts on muscle building weight training as much as possible.
When sleep deprived, you should pay extra attention to your recovery. You might not be able to tolerate as much training volume as someone who can sleep more.
You might also decide to delay your diet or new training program until you can get enough sleep.
Can Lack of Sleep make you Lose Weight?
For some people, lack of sleep may cause weight loss. Some people may not feel hungry when they don’t sleep enough. Sleep debt can also cause muscle loss.
For some people, sleep debt can even cause weight loss. However, most people will actually gain weight with sleep debt.
Too Much Sleep and Weight Loss
Is it possible that too much sleep could cause weight loss?
Sleeping too much is more common in depressed people. Depression is linked to appetite reductions. Some depressed people who sleep too much may actually lose weight.
However, sleeping too much is unlikely to cause weight loss unless you volitionally lower your calorie intake.
Sleep and Weight Gain
As we have learned from the studies mentioned above, a lack of sleep can make people hungrier and more tired. If you don’t sleep enough, you may not have the energy for good workouts or spontaneous movement throughout the day. Your willpower will be tested, and your hormone levels may be affected in a negative way.
These factors might cause you to gain weight or struggle to lose weight.
References
Depression and Sleep: Understanding the Connection. (2020). Retrieved December 20, 2020, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/depression-and-sleep-understanding-the-connection
Hogencamp, PS, Nilsson E, Nilsson VC, Chapman CD, Vogel H, Lundberg LS, arei S, Cedernaes J, Rangtell FH, Broman FH, Broman JE, Dickson SL, Brunstrom JM, Benedick C, Schioth HB. Acute sleep deprivation increases portion size and affects food choice in young men. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2013 Sep. http://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.01.012.
Kim, T. W., Jeong, J.-H., & Hong, S.-C. (2015). The Impact of Sleep and Circadian Disturbance on Hormones and Metabolism. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2015, 591729. http://doi.org/10.1155/2015/591729.
Nedeltcheva, A. V., Kilkus, J. M., Imperial, J., Schoeller, D. A., & Penev, P. D. (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Annals of Internal Medicine, 153(7), 435–441. http://doi.org/10.1059/0003-4819-153-7-201010050-00006.
