What You Need to Know About Sleep Deprivation and Weight Loss

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Can being sleep deprived cause you to gain weight? Yes! Many people don’t realize the negative health implications of sleep deprivation. It may even be hindering your fat loss efforts.

How does sleep (or sleep deprivation) affect weight loss?

Here are just a few reasons why sleeping may be the missing link to your weight loss efforts.

1. When you’re tired, it’s more difficult to make healthy choices.

I’m not sure if this is more about psychology or physiology but there seems to be a combination of both. However, I know I have experienced it firsthand.

When I get a good night’s sleep, sticking to my regular exercise and healthy eating routine is a cinch. But when I’m sleep deprived, I somehow think that chocolate and sugar will make me feel better. The truth is, it never does! It actually makes me feel worse. Much worse, because the blood sugar highs and lows makes me more tired and cranky than before I ate the sweets.

2. Now for some science about sleep and eating behavior hormones.

Researchers from several separate studies have found a link between sleep and the hormones that influence our eating behavior. Two specific hormones are involved. Ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is responsible for feelings of hunger. Leptin tells the brain when it’s time to stop eating.

When you’re sleep deprived, your ghrelin levels increase at the same time that your leptin levels decrease. The result is an increased craving for food and not feeling full. This is a hormone disaster as far as staying on track with a healthy eating plan. Nothing is worse than craving food and being hungry at the same time.

3. Many people don’t know this, but the human body adjusts itself based on its circadian rhythms and the amount of sunlight outside.

Without getting too deep into the science, these rhythms and light tell your body to physically recover approximately between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am and to mentally recover approximately between 2 am and 6 am.

If you aren’t getting to bed until 12 am or midnight, you are missing out on two crucial hours of physical and mental repair. This can result in all sorts of aches and pains that do not get better, no matter what you try.

I have seen clients relieve bad backs and aching joints simply by getting to bed by 10 pm. I have even seen people get smarter by sleeping til 6 am (ok, I made this last statement up but wouldn’t that be great?). All kidding aside, I have seen people act consistently sharper when they are well rested.

How are you going to get a good night’s sleep to ensure you are not sabotaging your weight loss efforts?

Here are a few tips for getting a good night’s sleep:

1. Don’t watch TV before bed. You may not realize how emotionally fired up you get by watching the news or an action packed TV show. Grab a book or your favorite magazine to read instead. This works wonders at getting you to relax and to fall sleep. A good fiction book has a calming effect and helps you forget the day’s events.

2. Cut your caffeine intake early in the day. A late afternoon coffee or tea can still be racing through your blood stream at 10 pm. Drink your last caffeinated beverage by noon. This includes all coffee and teas (except herbal teas). Once you catch up on your sleep, you won’t be so dependent on your afternoon java kick.

3. Avoid Sugar before bed. (You were avoiding sugar anyway right?) Consuming sugar right before bed leads to a blood sugar roller coaster ride, potentially waking you up in the middle of the night due to a blood sugar low.

4. Put your work away before a couple of hours before your go to bed. There’s nothing worse than a racing mind before bed. Crunching numbers and reading work documents right before bed may lead to dreams about work (or nightmares). End all work at least two hours before bed time. If this isn’t possible for you, you may need to reassess your work schedule a bit.

Whatever the adjustments are for you, remember, sleep may just be the missing link in your nutrition, exercise and health regimen. Stick to a healthy meal and exercise plan and tuck yourself in by 10pm each night and you will be well on your way to fat loss success.

About the Author:

Isabel De Los Rios is a certified nutritionist and exercise specialist who has already helped over 25,000 people all over the world lose incredible amounts of weight, regain their health and permanently change their lives.

She is the creator of The Diet Solutions Program and the Owner of New Body – Center for Fitness and Nutrition in New Jersey.

Isabel has become the #1 “go to girl” when it comes to Fat Burning Nutrition by several of the most popular fitness professionals around the globe. Isabel’s cutting edge and completely different approach to nutrition is what sets her apart from all the rest.

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