Sleep your way to a healthy weight loss

It’s no secret that sleep plays a huge role in maintaining our health and keeping it at an optimum level. Sleep plays a crucial role in the overall health of people. With around 40% of Americans getting less than 6 hours of sleep every night, it’s no wonder that the risks for various problems are increasing.

It’s alright to lose a little sleep every now and then but making it a regular habit can be detrimental to our health. A good night’s sleep just doesn’t make us feeling refreshed but it also plays a great role in helping us lose weight.

Here are just some of the reasons why you need to be getting a little extra shut eye to lose those inches:

1. Helps in controlling your diet

The regular mantra for weight loss is just to eat less and exercise more. This statement is partially true because the real combination of healthy weight loss is to eat healthy (small portions multiple times a day instead of 2-3 large meals), exercise regularly and sleep more. If you are eating right and exercising and leaving out the part of getting a proper night’s sleep, your chances of losing weight could be reduced to a great degree. When you go to sleep, your brain releases neurochemicals and hormones that give the body the signal to repair and heal itself. Getting less than the required amount of sleep reverses the benefits of your dieting because the hormone Leptin, which aids in controlling our hunger, is affected and that is why we end up having problems in sticking to our diets.

A lot of fitness enthusiasts tend to cut on their sleep time and replace it with more exercise for e.g. going to bed late around 1 or 2AM and waking up at 6 for their morning jog. This isn’t healthy and fitness experts advise against it. Sure there are times when you have some extra work to do or deadlines to meet but doing this on a regular basis is going to burn you out and will be counterproductive.

1. Good sleep affects your mood

If you aren’t feeling energetic or positive, there’s a high chance you won’t be doing any exercise and/or end up eating unhealthy things or as they say ‘comfort food’. A good night’s sleep sets the tone for the next day so never miss out on it. Set a proper schedule for your sleep and as soon as the clock hits the mark, keep all your screens or gadgets away.

Research shows that the light from mobile phones, tablets or laptops signals the brain that it is still day and our circadian rhythm-our body’s sleep timer, doesn’t kick in and we tend to stay up till the wee hours of the morning.

1. It makes you buy healthy food

This one might be a surprise to many, but research shows that a good night sleep tends to help us make good eating and buying decisions. Never go shopping for food when you are tired or hungry. The study concluded that people ended up buying food that was 1400 calories higher than what they would normally eat. Sleep deprivation releases more Cortisol in your body, which in turn makes you eat more food.

So next time you hit the sack, know that the 7-8 hours every night in the bed are also helping you reach your weight loss goals.