We usually come across several tutorials over the internet on how to cope with weight gain and weight lost. Several experts will advice you to go on a proper diet routine if you want to loose weight, others will recommend taking pills and proper supplements, while some will advice you hit the gym regularly in order to burn some calories. But the idea of sleep as a recipe for weight lost is usually overlooked.
If you're trying to lose weight, you must realize that the amount of sleep you get may be just as important as your diet and exercise, even more. Many people are not sleeping enough and this may just be the main reason why the dream of loosing some pounds doesn't seem to materialize anytime soon.
Below are interesting facts you need to know about sleeping and weight lost
Poor Sleep Is a Major Risk Factor for Weight Gain and Obesity
If you are not sleeping adequately, there is a probability that you will be obese. Studies have shown that short sleep duration increased the likelihood of obesity by 89% in children and 55% in adults. You must have at least eight hours of sleep on a daily basis if you are to wrestle obesity.
Your appetite increases when you don't have adequate sleep.
Several studies have revealed that people with insomnia always have an increased appetite. Ghrelin and leptin are the two hormones in the body that controls our appetite, ghrelin is released as an indicator of hunger while leptin is released as an indicator of satiety. These hormones are greatly influenced by the amount of sleep we get. Study have shown that when we have inadequate sleep, the level of ghrelin is elevated leading to an increased appetite while suppressing leptin.
Sleep Helps You Fight Cravings and Make Healthy Choices
Lack of sleep actually take a heavy toll on the way your brain functions. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls decision-making and self-control towards anything including food, it can be affected negatively when one is sleep deprived, and when this happen, decision making towards when to eat and when not to eat becomes a problem. Hence, our appetite becomes our driver and decision maker.
Poor Sleep May Decrease Your Resting Metabolism
Your resting metabolic rate is the number of calories your body burns when completely at rest. However, this may vary with age, sex and muscle mass. Research have shown that we burn a significant amount of calories while sleeping alone. So when we are sleep deprived, our resting metabolic rate may become altered, leading to accumulation of more calories.