If the weight scale has not budged in awhile, the reason might be related to your sleep duration. Research shows that sleep deprivation increases weight gain, mainly due to changes in hormones that regulate the appetite. Lack of sleep is associated with low levels of leptin, a hormone that reduces appetite, and high levels of ghrelin, which increases hunger. Sleeping eight hours a night, maximizing growth hormone levels, and taking CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) before bedtime can help aid fat loss during sleep.
Step 1
Sleep eight hours a night. In a 2004 study published in ''PLoS Medicine,'' participants sleeping less than eight hours a night had higher body mass index, or estimate of body fat content, than those sleeping eight hours. Scientists also observed that the short sleep group had lower levels of leptin and a higher ghrelin response compared to the eight-hour group.
Step 2
Eliminate carbohydrates before bed. Growth hormone is released during sleep and is responsible for decreasing body fat. In research reported in the 1999 issue of the "Journal of Biological Chemistry," researchers found that the presence of insulin inhibits growth hormone release. Eliminating insulin-producing carbohydrates before bedtime maximizes growth hormone levels and enhances fat loss during sleep.
Step 3
Take CLA before bed. Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, supplementation not only increases energy expenditure, but also boosts fat oxidation during sleep, according to research published in a 2007 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
References
- ''PLos Medicine''; Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin, and Increased Body Mass Index; 2004
- ''Journal of Biological Chemistry''; Insulin Inhibits Growth Hormone Signaling via the Growth Hormone Receptor/JAK2/STAT5B Pathway; 1999
- ''American Journal of Clinical Nutrition''; Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation alters the 6-mo change in fat oxidation during sleep; 2007
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