Last Updated on November 1, 2020 by The Health Master
Sleep on time to lose weight
If you have tried almost everything to lose weight and are still not getting the desired results, maybe it is time to pay attention to your sleep. If you are messing with your sleep cycle, it could hamper your quest to lose weight.
Between tight work deadlines, taking care of personal responsibilities and working out, we often take our sleep for granted. This is why you need to break certain habits and rebuild your whole lifestyle to catch enough shut-eye.
Sleep helps you battle cravings
You are more likely to make healthier food choices consciously if you are well-rested and not functioning on low energy. According to research conducted by the European Congress of Endocrinology, when you do not sleep well, your body tends to produce less of GLP-1 which is a hormone known to increase satiety.
Poor sleep may increase your appetite
On the other hand, when you do not sleep well, it directly impacts the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin. When you sleep less, you crave for takeouts as you do not feel like putting in the effort to eat healthily.
Lack of sleep affects your BMI
A lot of observational studies have established a link between poor sleep and higher average BMI (body mass index.) According to research conducted by the University of California, people who slept for less than 7 hours every night were more likely to have higher average body mass indexes and chances of developing obesity than those who slept for 7 hours.
The bottom line
It is important to understand that sleep plays a very crucial role in your quest to lose weight. If you haven’t slept well, it may dramatically affect your appetite and even make you gain weight. Practice healthy sleep habits to optimize your health and keep your weight loss journey on track.
