The Connection Between Sleep and Weight Loss

You probably know that you’re supposed to get eight hours of sleep each night, but do you know why? Here’s a hint: it’s not just that you’ll feel tired and foggy-headed the next day.

Inadequate sleep causes your body to go haywire—impairing important body functions and leading to potentially serious problems, including depression, a weakened immune system, and weight gain. In fact, sleep deprivation is a leading reason for weight gain in the United States.

Reports from the CDC show shocking levels of sleep deprivation across the country, with 35% of Americans regularly getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night. You can count that among the reasons so many Americans are overweight. Not only does sleep debt make you more likely to put on pounds, but it also makes it hard to take them off.

In this article, we’ll demystify the troubling connection between sleep and weight loss. Then, discover how to sleep better so that unwanted weight gain isn’t a problem in your life.

A Sleepy Brain Makes Bad Decisions

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body begins to behave out of order. Some systems slow down, while others speed into overdrive, often making for a dangerous combo.

For example, when you are sleep deprived, your frontal lobe becomes less reactive. Bad news, considering that this part of the brain is associated with good decision making and mental clarity. At the same time, the brain’s reward centers light up, urging you to make hedonistic, or pleasure-based, choices.

When it comes to eating, those choices involve foods loaded with sugar, fat, and carbs. One study found that people who slept less than eight hours chose snacks with twice as much fat content as those a well-rested person would choose. People who don’t get the recommended amount of sleep are also more likely to snack often and in the middle of the night, which causes not only weight gain, but also heartburn and indigestion.

If sleep-related binging on junk food reminds you of the “munchies” associated with marijuana, you’ve made an astute observation! In fact, sleep loss and marijuana use both flood the brain with endocannabinoids, which are neurotransmitters that impact energy levels and appetite. Marijuana smokers and sleep-deprived people are prone to the same overactive appetite that leads to unhealthy eating and snacking habits.

Here’s the good news: while poor dietary choices caused by sleep deprivation are a reason for weight gain, the opposite is also true. Good sleep and weight loss go hand-in-hand. When you get a healthy amount of quality sleep, you are more likely to make healthy eating decisions that encourage losing excess weight, and you are less likely to snack throughout the day.

Sleep & the Metabolism

In addition to hiking up cravings, lack of sleep also compromises the metabolism. When you don’t get the sleep you need to recharge your batteries, your body produces excess cortisol to keep you alert—too alert. This jitter-inducing stress hormone puts the body into survival mode and impacts a couple of primary functions of the metabolism.

For instance, cortisol causes the body to store fat, which it can later turn into energy in case of an emergency. However, because lack of sleep also makes us less likely to be active and burn off that fat, it ends up staying in our bodies, especially around the gut.

When cortisol lingers in the body for a long time, caused by regular sleep deprivation, it can also limit protein uptake by the muscles, which is necessary for burning fat. So, even if you diet, eat healthily, and exercise regularly, you are only half as likely to see visible results as long as you're not getting enough sleep. Poor sleep and weight loss just aren’t compatible.

The Trouble With Exercising While Sleep Deficient

One of the most obvious benefits of sleep is waking up feeling energized and motivated to be active throughout the day. However, those who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be sluggish and avoid exercising altogether. This is the primary challenge of inadequate sleep and weight loss in the context of exercise.

The second challenge is that, even if you do exercise while running on little sleep, you are less likely to have good results. As mentioned in the last section, insufficient sleep hinders the body’s ability to build muscles. In fact, it can even lead to muscle loss and, consequently, an increased risk of injury.

Finally, because sleep loss also lowers growth hormone levels, you are more likely to feel sore after a workout. Just another reason, in addition to feeling sluggish and lazy, that sleep deprivation might keep you out of the gym.

How to Sleep Better

There are many benefits of sleep, but you only get to experience them if you sleep enough. If you are not currently getting an adequate amount of sleep, you should consider cutting out bad sleeping habits. Doing so is crucial to correcting the negative impacts sleep deprivation may be causing your body, including weight gain.

By incorporating the following healthy sleep habits into your bedtime routine, you'll be on your way to sleeping better and have one less factor in your life that could lead to weight gain.

1. Cut down on screen time before bed

The blue light from screens confuses your body’s circadian rhythm, which takes cues from natural changes in light.

2. Establish a bedtime ritual to help you wind down

Some gentle meditation or a hot bath before bed are a couple of ways to help get you in the mood for sleep.

3. Make sure you’re sleeping on the most comfortable mattress

Otherwise, you risk waking throughout the night due to discomfort, aches, and pains. You can read our reviews of some of the most recommended mattresses right here on our site.

4. Keep the bedroom cool

Experts say that 60°F to 65°F is the ideal temperature for sleeping, so set the thermostat low and get a temperature-regulating mattress, like the Cocoon Chill mattress by Sealy or the Saatva hybrid mattress.

5. Avoid eating for at least two hours before bed

Eating too close to bedtime can cause heartburn, night sweats, and poor blood sugar regulation.

6. Limit caffeine and alcohol

Limit caffeine intake to the morning and avoid alcohol consumption at night, as it reduces REM sleep, which is the deepest, most restorative kind of sleep.

7. Remove clutter from the bedroom

A cluttered bedroom encourages a cluttered mind, which will impede your efforts to doze off.

8. Block out the light

Darkness encourages the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for making your sleepy.

Conclusion

Sleep and weight loss are inextricable. To eliminate excess weight and avoid weight gain, you must get your full eight hours in. To reap all the benefits of sleep, try incorporating some of our healthy bedtime habits into your evening routine and prioritize sleeping on the most comfortable mattress.

The right bed could be the key to getting the sleep your body needs to stay happy, fit, and healthy. Browse our site to read reviews of some of the best mattresses available.