4 Ways Sleep Can Help with Weight Loss

March 25, 2019

Did you know that a good night’s sleep can help you lose or maintain a healthy weight? It’s a fact that a restful night’s sleep is just as important for weight loss as regular physical activity. For instance, a good night’s sleep helps regulate your metabolism and hormones—both of which play major roles in your ability to maintain a healthy weight.

If you’re trying to lose excess weight but have problems sleeping through the night, make an appointment with a sleep specialist immediately. It’s possible that sleep loss may be interfering with your ability to lose weight.

Here are four ways a good night’s sleep can enhance your weight loss journey:

1. Sleep Regulates Hunger Hormones

Leptin and ghrelin are hunger hormones that regulate your appetite. Sleep loss can make these hormones fluctuate and cause you to overeat, and eat when you’re not even hungry. Quality sleep can properly balance your hunger hormones, and also curb overeating and cravings for unhealthy junk foods.

2. Sleep Regulates Brain Chemistry

Serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are all brain chemicals that play essential roles in your mood and mental health. Sleep loss throws these brain chemicals off balance and increases your risk for anxiety and depression. These mental health disorders are linked to increased fat storage and weight gain on behalf of factors such as increased cortisol levels and overeating. A good night’s sleep can ward off mental health conditions like these that contribute to weight gain.

3. Sleep Enhances Your Workouts

Sleep deprivation can make you feel unmotivated, sluggish, and overly tired to the point you’re unable to exercise without facing the risk of injury. A quality night’s sleep can lift your mood and make you feel more energetic to enhance your workouts and athletic performance. Exercising regularly can improve your overall health and help you shed excess weight.

4. Sleep Fights Insulin Resistance

Lack of sleep interferes with the way your body produces and manages insulin; an imbalance of insulin can lead to an increase in fat storage, cause sugar to linger in your bloodstream for longer, and trigger insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and heart disease; therefore, getting plenty of sleep helps your body fight insulin resistance. This will help you can avoid weight gain and other related medical conditions.

At Healthcare Associates of Texas, we understand how different types of sleep disorders can interfere with your ability to get a good night’s rest.  Schedule an appointment or today.

 

Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3302146/
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20371664