Fat Loss And Sleep: Why Proper Sleep Is The Key To Weight Loss

When you are trying to lose weight, you are probably already thinking about changing your diet and exercising more. However, you are forgetting about one crucial element to ensure that you reach your goal - get proper sleep.

Here are 6 reasons why getting proper sleep is crucial to weight loss:

#1: Poor Sleep Can Increase Your Appetite:

According to a study, people have more appetite when they are deprived of sleep. This tends to be caused by the behavior of two of the most important hunger hormones - ghrelin and leptin. While the first one has a high level before you eat and low after you eat, the second one suppresses hunger.

When you don't get proper sleep, your body produces more ghrelin which leaves you more hungry.

#2: Poor Sleep Can Lead To Obesity And Weight Gain:

While not everyone needs the same number of sleep hours, the truth is that according to this study, the likelihood of obesity increases in both adults and children when they don't get enough sleep.

The truth is that you can end up in a vicious cycle. Since you don't sleep properly you end up eating more. So, with more weight, you will have difficulties in sleeping well.

#3: Poor Sleep Can Increase Your Calorie Intake:

One of the things that you probably haven't noticed is that when you don't get proper sleep you will have a tendency to increase your calories intake.

When you don't sleep properly, you may end up spending your time simply watching TV or being inactive. And this can lead you to eat more. In addition, some studies have already found that when you suffer from sleep deprivation, you tend to eat snacks after dinner.

#4: Poor Sleep Can Decrease Your Resting Metabolism:

When you are resting, your body continues working. And it continues burning calories as you sleep. The resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the number of calories that your body burns when you are sleeping. The reality is that this rate is affected by numerous factors including muscle mass, sex, height, weight, and age.

According to this study, sleep deprivation can decrease your RMR. So, this means that your body won't burn as many calories as it would if you sleep properly.

It is also important to notice that other studies were made and that they concluded that there was no relationship between sleep deprivation and your resting metabolic rat. So, we have to say that we need more evidence.

#5: Proper Sleep Can Help You Fight Cravings And Make Healthy Choices:

No one questions that the lack of sleep affects us. It probably affects your mood, you may get headaches, you lose focus, you're not able to concentrate or make quick decisions, among others. So, the lack of proper sleep ends up affecting your ability to make good choices. And when you are trying to lose weight, this may be a huge obstacle since you may have a harder time resisting tempting foods. 

#6: Proper Sleep Can Improve Your Physical Activity:

When you don't have a good night sleep, you usually wake up fatigued. So, you can be sure that you will be less motivated to exercise.

On the other hand, when you get proper sleep, you'll be more focused and more energetic. So, this can even help you improve your athletic performance.