Getting enough sleep is an often overlooked part of the weight-loss equation. While you are asleep, your body is working hard to regenerate cells and balance your hormones. No matter how much work you are putting in at the gym, if you are not getting enough sleep, your muscles will not be able to undergo changes, and your metabolism will not function properly.
Energy Levels
Decreased energy levels are the most obvious connection to a lack of sleep; this does have a direct effect on weight loss. If you are not feeling energetic, you are not going to be able to get the most out of your workouts, or even worse, not feel like working out at all. Dips in energy can also cause unhealthy food choices, such as picking a sugary food for a quick energy boost.
Hormones
Leptin is a hormone that regulates appetite by signaling to your brain that you are full; it is produced during sleep. According to researchers Karine Spiegel, et al., a University of Chicago study published on December 7, 2004 in the "Annals of Internal Medicine" reported low leptin levels in people who are sleep-deprived; subjects in the study reported increased hunger levels, especially for foods high in calories and carbohydrates. Human growth hormone, which plays an important role in muscle growth and cell renewal, is also produced during sleep.
Sleep and Fat Loss
According to an article published in the October 4, 2010 issue of "Annals of Internal Medicine," researchers conducting a study at the University of Chicago put two groups of subjects on the same diet and exercise program, but one group was allowed 5.5 hours of sleep per night and the other 8.5 hours. Plamen Penev, the study's director and author of the article, reported that the group that slept more showed greater overall weight loss, and a higher percentage of weight lost was fat, as opposed to losing lean mass like water and muscle. Only 25 percent of weight lost by the group sleeping 5.5 hours was fat, whereas 55 percent of the weight lost by the 8.5 hour sleepers was fat.
Recommendations
The amount of sleep you need varies from person to person, and sleep needs differ as you age. Pregnancy and menopause cause sleep disturbances in women, a time when weight management is already challenged. The average, healthy adult needs between seven and nine hours per night. Strategies to increase sleep include establishing a sleep schedule and sticking to it, establishing a bedtime routine and minimizing sleep-disturbing environmental factors.
References
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Sleep Curtailment in Healthy Young Men is Associated with Decreased Leptin Levels, Elevated Ghrelin Levels and Increased Hunger and Appetite; Karine Spiegel, et al.; December 7, 2004
- "Annals of Inernal Medicine"; Sleep Loss Limits Fat Loss; Plamen Penev; October 4, 2010
- National Sleep Foundation: How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?
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