Lose Weight While Sleeping!

Lose weight while sleeping! Sounds too good to be true, right? But the fact is that sleep in one of the most unappreciated and undervalued pieces to healthy weight loss and maintenance. You see, a lot goes on physiologically at night to help repair and restore the body. Getting enough sleep is a cornerstone to balanced hormones, and I would argue that hormones are the conductor of the symphony when it comes to fat regulation. You can exercise all you want and follow a strict diet, but if your hormones are off, then fat loss can be excruciatingly difficult. Ask any person whose thyroid becomes dysfunctional. The pounds suddenly pile on out of nowhere, without any change to diet or exercise patterns.

Two hormones that influence body composition and are affected by sleep patterns are leptin and ghrelin. They are not talked about a lot, so this may be new information to you, or you might have a vague idea of what they are. Let me give you more detail. Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of “checks and balances” system to control hunger and fullness. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin which is produced in the fat cells sends a signal to the brain when you are full. How are these hormones connected to sleep? Well, when you don’t get enough sleep, leptin levels can take a dive. This in turn, means you don’t feel satisfied after you eat. Remember, leptin signals the brain that you are full. Not enough leptin, and you don’t get the signal that you are full and continue to eat. On the flip side, lack of sleep causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food. When you combine low leptin and high ghrelin levels, the stage is set for overeating.

Studies confirm that in individuals who are sleep deprived, food intake can increase exponentially. And the foods that sleep deprived individuals reach for aren’t fruits and veggies; they are calorie dense foods that are often high in carbohydrates. The body is craving energy, and since it didn’t get it with sleep, it looks for it in calories and carbs. Research has also shown that there is a correlation between poor sleep patterns and body fat percentage. Those that sleep the fewest hours per night are the most at risk for weighing more. In fact, we all have probably experienced this ourselves. We don’t need studies to tell us that sleep deprivation leads to eating more the next day! As well, you might be too tired to exercise. So it is a double whammy – you eat more, and you move less.

So how much sleep is enough sleep? Most experts agree that eight hours is the magic number, but it ranges from 7 – 9 hours per night. If you are one of those individuals that likes to stay up late and push the envelope, then getting into some good sleep hygiene habits should be a priority. Here are some tips.

• Set a specific bed time, and stick to it seven days per week.
• Dim the lights in your home in the evening. Use area lights instead of overhead lights. Try to make the inside environment mimic the outside.
• Bright light entering the eyes will suppress melatonin – which is another hormone that helps you sleep. The body needs about 3 hours of dim light to start producing melatonin.
• Avoid the computer and tv at least one hour before bed as they are stimulating. Try reading, which is much more relaxing for the body, and prevents direct light from entering the eyes.
• Start to get ready for bed thirty minutes ahead of your bedtime. This way you are in bed, and falling asleep at your bedtime.
• If you are someone that wakes in the middle of the night and needs food to fall back asleep, then have a bedtime snack of protein and fat. Almond butter or a hardboiled egg, for example. This kind of food will help to balance your blood sugar and help prevent waking. Also, make sure the carbs you eat with your evening meal are low glycemic, and balanced with protein and fat.

I hope this helps you and gives you a push to get some extra sleep if needed. I always like giving advice that people enjoy. Of course, do what you can within your circumstances. Happy Sleeping!

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