Getting a good night’s rest has countless benefits for our overall health and wellbeing. But did you know that sleep can also effect fat loss results?
Here’s everything you need to know and how to make sure you’re catching enough ZZZs…
Table of Contents
Altering your appetite
Studies have shown that a lack of a sleep can cause an increased appetite and calorie intake.
One particular study found that participants who experienced sleep deprivation consumed an additional 385 calories per day, most of which came from high-fat foods.
As for why that is, it’s because your body makes more of the hunger hormone ghrelin (manages short-term appetite regulation) and less of leptin (regulates food intake and energy expenditure). In short, you’re left hungrier than if you had a good night’s rest!
Metabolism make or break
Put simply, metabolism is the process of our body converting what we eat and drink into energy to survive. That energy we use to breathe, exercise and of course sleep, also makes up our metabolism.
Now, while exercise can help increase our metabolism, our sleep does the opposite. Our metabolism actually slows around 15 per cent during sleep, usually at its lowest levels in the morning.
If you’re experiencing poor sleep quality, your metabolism can take an even deeper dive.
A number of studies have shown that sleep deprivation often leads to metabolic dysregulation – increased oxidative stress, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. All of which can contribute to weight gain.
Making good food choices
When we’re not well-rested, our decision-making can become impaired, and that’s also relevant to making food choices.
When you’re sleep-deprived, it’s been shown that the reward centres of the brain are more stimulated by high-calorie foods.
Changes to physical activity
Ok, probably the most obvious issue with lack of sleep and exercise is even having the energy to get active!
Therefore, you’re burning less calories which can negatively impact your weight loss journey.
But more than that, if you’re lacking sleep you could be more likely to injure yourself during exercise. Getting a good night of sleep will also help repair your muscles after a workout.
How to get a good sleep
Remember, all adults should be getting seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night.
One of the biggest factors that can come between you and a solid sleep is your bed!
Making sure you have a supportive and comfortable mattress is going to contribute to good rest.
One of our favourites right now is the Emma Mattress range . Not only conveniently delivered to your door rolled up in a box (we love the convenience!), they’re designed and tested by sleep experts, engineers and designers in Germany using the latest foam technologies and top materials. Their mattresses start from $999.
For more tips on how to have a good sleep, you can click here.