Methods of losing weight is something that continues to occupy most health and lifestyle columns regularly, and the internet is littered with unsubstantiated claims of the next best thing since sliced bread, often sounding particularly questionable. Whilst there are 2 clinically proven treatments you can take to assist in weight loss, these can often be expensive to frequently buy and can sometimes have undesired effects on your bowel movements. It’s worth considering the factors that could be hindering your weight loss path, if not contributing to excess fat, and approach the matter from a more natural angle. As it turns out, one of the most important but also often-overlooked variables is the quality and quantity of sleep you’re getting. Experts acknowledge that ensuring you have adequate quality sleep could be as crucial to sustainable weight loss as dieting and exercising! And despite this, the majority of individuals get 1 to 3 hours of sleep per night under the recommended optimal amount.
The online pharmacy Pharmica delves deeper into the connection between sleep and weight loss, unearthing the importance of a great nights rest.
How Does Sleep Affect My Weight?
Appetite
Our circadian rhythm in part dictates the daily fluctuations in our hormone levels, and when it comes to appetite, grehlin and leptin are 2 that play important roles. Grehlin increases appetite, whilst leptin reduces it, and a good night’s sleep helps to ensure that our body produces the right amount of each at the appropriate times of the day. Research indicates that with sleep deprivation, more grehlin and fewer leptin neurotransmitters are released, making us chemically more hungry the following day.
Food Choices
Whilst you might think you are the sole master of your own destiny, less than the necessary levels of sleep may influence your ability to make sensible food choices. 1 study found that participants were more likely to choose high-calorie snacks after being deprived of sleep, as well as being less able to resist snacking after a large meal. This indicates that following poor sleep, it’s more likely that our temptations will get the better of us, meaning we’ll find it easier to gain (or not lose) weight due to increased unhealthy calories.
Hormone Change
A lack of sleep sends signals to the body to conserve energy (by producing more cortisol) which means fat stores aren’t being used for energy. Without enough sleep, the energy conservation mode your body goes into can reduce the amount of weight you’re able to lose by up to half, even on a consistent calorie intake. The body’s metabolism also decreases, meaning the calorie threshold required for basic body functioning will be lower, with more calories therefore being stored as fat. As well as this, your body will be less able to correctly process insulin, needing for processing fats and converting them to energy (again, resulting in more fat being stored).
Physical Exercise
Since we wake up tired and depleted after a bad nights sleep, we are unlikely to want to go for a run or work out, both in terms of our motivation levels and physical energy. Our ability to focus will also be diminished, and a lack of exercise will in part also lower our metabolism, making it more difficult to lose weight.
If you’re struggling with getting to sleep or keep getting woken up at night, you may want to try an effective sleep medication such as Nytol.
