7 Ways Sleep Actually Helps Us Slim Down

Never shy away from sleep. We need it as much as we need food most especially if we’re on a diet to slim down and stay slim.

If we really want to shrink the fats away and stay slim for good, then we need to get enough sleep. According to Webmd.com:

“Trouble is, more than a third of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep on a regular basis. Yet experts agree that getting enough shut-eye is as important to health, well-being, and your weight as are diet and exercise.”

Unfortunately, sleep isn’t much of a priority. With a busy schedule ahead, sleep is something that’s taken for granted. Instead, coffee or caffeine is the go-to drink to stay awake throughout the day.

We really need to get more sleep. It’s one of the most critical things we need to do especially if we want to shed some pounds and stay healthy. Here are 7 ways sleep actually enhances our body’s calorie burning.

7. Helps Focus On Healthy Eating Behavior

When we are sleep deprived, our brain suffers, especially the area that controls our inhibitions and behavior. When those areas are affected, we’re more likely to overeat and make poor food choices. A study from Columbia University found that the area of the brain that regulates pleasure-seeking behaviors was negatively impacted in sleep-deprived subjects. Since unhealthy food triggers that region more than healthy food, being tired increases our risk of reaching for junk food. (1)

6. Regulates Metabolism And Energy Expenditure

In a study conducted by Mayo Clinic professor of medicine and cardiovascular disease Dr. Virend Somers and his colleagues, it was found that sleep is an important regulator of metabolism and energy expenditure. When we are sleep-deprived, hormones that regulate metabolism and increase hunger are affected, stimulating an increase in consuming calories. The likely result is weight gain. (2)

5. Leads To Better Calorie Burn

Experts are now learning that getting the right amount of sleep encourages a healthy metabolism, and skimping on sleep throws it out of whack. For example, a 2012 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that when a small group of men and women got only four hours of sleep a night, their bodies became more insulin-resistant, a red flag for obesity and diabetes. (3)

4. Suppresses Fat Genes

A recent study found that women who slept seven to nine hours a night weighed less than those who were sleep-deprived; researchers believe that those who slept fewer than seven hours a night (or, interestingly, more than nine) were more affected by any genetic predispositions to be overweight or obese. (4)

3. Positive Relationship With Diet

The debate about the best way to achieve a healthy weight always revolves around eating and movement. If we want to look better, the most common suggestion is “eat less and move more.” But it’s not that simple, or even accurate.

Sometimes we want to eat less and move more, but it seems impossible to do so. And there might be a good reason: Between living our life, working, and exercising, we’re forgetting to sleep enough. Or maybe, more importantly, we don’t realize that sleep is the key to being rewarded for our diet and fitness efforts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 35 percent of people are sleep deprived. And when we consider that the statistic for obesity is nearly identical, it’s easy to connect the dots and discover that the connection is not a coincidence. (5)

2. Encourages Portion Control

In a Swedish study, well-rested and sleep-deprived participants were asked to complete a computerized “ideal portion size” task where they could manipulate their serving size on a screen. Their findings: Sleep-starved people added 35 additional calories in snacks to their digital “plate” compared to well-rested participants. (6)

1. Curbs Hunger

If we’re not sleeping well at night, we may be causing hormonal imbalances that could be making us feel hungry when we don’t really need to eat.

“The appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin are made predominantly during sleep, which means that people have less of a sense of satiety if they’re not getting enough sleep,” says Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of “Real Cause, Real Cure: The 9 Root Causes Of The Most Common Health Problems And How To Solve Them.” That hormone-triggered lack of satiety could explain the 3 a.m. munchies. (7)

So How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

Sleep is definitely a painless way to shed some weight. The question is, how much sleep does your body need to get some results?

According to Mensfitness.com, 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep is what The National Sleep Foundation recommends. So if a person is not sleeping that much, then it’s time to change.

Mayoclinic.org says that:

“Some people claim to feel rested on just a few hours of sleep a night, but their performance is likely affected. Research shows that people who sleep so little over many nights don’t perform as well on complex mental tasks as do people who get closer to seven hours of sleep a night.”

So ditch the late nights, get to bed early, and sleep well. Getting more sleep can make slimming down more effortless.