Sleep & weight loss
When trying to lose weight we typically focus on our “what we eat” and “how active we are”, but there are other important elements of our everyday lives that can impact reaching our goal. Sleep is one of them.
Sleep plays a big role in weight loss/management, both physiologically and practically.
Physiologically, there are two hormones related to energy that can be affected by lack of sleep. Ghrelin, our appetite stimulating hormone, increases when we’re sleep deprived causing us to crave more food. And Leptin, our appetite suppressing hormone, is decreased when we are sleep deprived and as a result leaves us constantly unsatiated. With ghrelin high, and leptin low, your appetite is out of whack which makes it hard to stay on track.
On a practical side, lack of sleep causes us to feel tired and sluggish. When our energy is low during the day we seek quick fixes, typically in the form of high energy or high sugar, high calorie foods. And we eat more of it.
You know those sluggish days, when all you can think about is that afterwork burrito? Yep. This can happen after one night or poor sleep. And when it becomes more frequent, it can lead to hormonal changes that we mentioned.
Tips and tricks to get your sleep hourzzz and make the most of them.
Avoid caffeine late in the day: when 2 PM hits it’s not easy to say no to that 2nd cup of Joe, but that might cause more trouble later when it’s time to fall, stay, or get the most out of your night’s sleep. Try instead to take a 10-15 minute walk outside or a caffeine-free cup of tea, you can get the afternoon jolt you need without the added caffeine.
No screens: Putting your phone down can be hard, one more round of Candy Crush or one last scroll through Instagram, but our night’s sleep benefits most from a screen break well before we get into bed. Chances are you spent the day looking at your computer or phone screen, and the Bluelight Effect can stall the body’s release of melatonin. Try setting an alarm on your phone for 1 hour prior to bedtime, to remind you it’s time to unplug and wind down.
Create a bedtime routine: routine is tough, life can be unpredictable. But scheduling a few activities that are always done right before bed, in consecutive order, can help condition the body early to know it’s time to start preparing for sleep.
Sleep environment: You might hear some people say “I am a light sleeper” or “I am a deep sleeper, I can sleep through any sound or light disruption”. But in reality the conditions of the environment we sleep in do matter. Try keeping the room dark, quiet, and well-tempered when sleeping. This will minimize any possible disturbances to your REM cycles.
Don’t eat or drink too close to bedtime: Food and fluids are meant to energize the body, it puts the body to work. Timed nutrition, as a pillar of this program, can make or break your night’s rest. Be sure to time your dinner or last meal of the day at least 3 hours before bedtime, this will allow for a restful night’s sleep and your body time to slow down.