The Science Of Sleep: How Sleeping Affects Weight Loss!

Getting a good night’s sleep is such a relief. On weekdays, most of us have problems moving out of our cozy beds but unfortunately, we have to. We can’t wait for the weekends to take a mid-day nap or maybe to stay in bed a little longer.

Scientifically, sleep is regarded to be a very important part of our life. All our bodily functions start shutting down without sleep. Is sleep crucial when you are on a weight loss regime? Diet and working out top the list but sleep? This blog aims to answer this very question for you. Read on to get to the bottom of this topic with us.

What Are The Causes Of Sleep Deprivation?

Several reasons are linked to the loss of sleep one may experience. Some of these include-

Following a hectic work schedule– When you work in erratic shifts, you often cannot come to terms with a routine.
Being an alcoholic– Needless to say, nothing good comes from drinking alcohol.
Abuse of caffeine – Not just coffees, it also includes aerated sodas and sugary drinks.
Pain-When you suffer from pain, you cannot have a sound sleep.
Diseases–Sleep apnea, Alzheimer’s all these make you stay late at night.

Loss Of Sleep And Its Impact On Your Body

Sleep deprivation has always been known to cause catastrophic consequences. The Russian sleep experiment which was supposedly conducted in captivity bore a lot of adverse impacts. Though we are not sure about the former, we are sure that not sleeping enough can be dangerous, to say the least.

According to the experts, loss of sleep can have the following results including-

Loss of cognitive function-Memory and lack of concentration is a result of not getting enough sleep. Our brain needs rest to process information and therefore upgrade our cognitive function. Additionally, people are prone to make mistakes that can take their life away like accidents. Now you know why the signposts say what they say!

Poor immune system– All your organs work relentlessly to be at their best during the day so in the nights they restart themselves to be effective for the coming schedule. If they are not given that chances are you will end up compromising the system.

Bad for the heart– Having high blood pressure is directly linked to all cardiovascular diseases and no sleep means high blood pressure.

Affect the insulin production– This means diabetes and we all know how that ends.

Low libido– Yes. Not getting enough sleep can affect our moods which also includes the release of many hormones that are critical for you to function.

Is Sleeping And Weight Loss Connected?

Now that we know how sleep loss messes with all over our body, let’s get to our real question-does it impacts our weight loss journey or not? Getting straight to the answer we would say like to say yes. Sleeping and weight loss are connected.

Sleep deprivation has been linked to weight gain. So how can that happen you may wonder? It is because your hormone flow is interrupted by no proper sleep and there are some which help us feel hungry as well as satiety. But when you don’t take the sleep you need for your body after a busy day, its production is stopped and you end up feeling hungry.

This means you will crave sugar and Carbohydrates. Now anyone could tell you that on a diet, sugar, and carbs are a deadly combination. Additionally, it also delays the release of ghrelin which means recurring patterns of eating and forming an unhealthy cycle.

Imagine you are out of sleep for long hours, do you think you will be able to take even a step? Now as you lose weight, nothing can replace physical activity. So as you stop sleeping, you lose your coordination, you feel tired and that means putting on more weight with no movement.

If this isn’t enough to convince you, know this, losing sleep can increase your blood sugar level. Increased blood sugar level means difficulty in the production of Insulin and hence diabetes. So you see where we are going with this.

A poor immune system is another symptom that you are not getting enough sleep. For instance, you will be catching cough and cold more than usual. This means you will have to take more rest and less moving around. We don’t have to tell you how that is going to turn out for your weight loss.

Lastly, mood alteration thanks to lack of sleep causes you stress which is in no way good for fat loss.

How Can You Regulate Your Sleeping Pattern?

There are some ways by which you can prevent yourself from sleep deprivation. Those are-

Lower your caffeine consumption.
No siestas
Make a schedule for wake-up and sleeping.
Do not overstuff before sleeping.
Hydrate a lot.
Stop drinking alcohol or smoking.

Sleeping cannot be overlooked when weight loss is your ultimate goal. We know with your ongoing busy life, sleeping doesn’t have to be the top of your priority. However, sleep is more than just taking rest. Power naps and all are great too but 6-8 hours of night sleep has to be taken for your Cicardian clock to turn.

Throughout the day you have to make small changes to lead up to a smarter sleep clock. If anyone tells you to not sleep early in, tell them you need to!