Sleep and Weight Loss: No Sleep = No Weight Loss

Many reports tie sleep and weight loss together, saying that a lack of sleep can be a cause of weight gain; and that getting enough sleep is a fundamental part of successful weight loss. Findings show the need for ample sleep in order to lose weight, and some information even suggests that sleep deprivation increases food cravings.

Sleep and Weight LossSleep and Weight Loss - Blame the Hormones

Ghrelin is a hormone that is produced in the gastrointestinal tract. It is the hormone that makes you feel hungry or stimulates your appetite. Leptin, on the other hand, is a hormone which is produced in fat cells. This hormone does the opposite - it sends signals to your brain to give you the sensation of being full or that "full" feeling.


When someone is deprived of sleep, the levels of leptin in their bodies drop and the levels of ghrelin rises. This subsequently stimulates their appetites, producing a sensation of being constantly hungry - even if they've just finished eating.

Sleeping an adequate amount of time, preferable 7-9 hours per day, is tied to successful weight loss, and also helps a person resist cravings. When a person is tired the next day from a lack of sleep, it's easy for them to seek out the fast burning, carbohydrates for a quick lift. These starches and sugars, and simple carbohydrates raise the blood sugar abnormally, and trigger the body to store fat. This subsequently can stall weight loss, and will even increase your changes to gain extra pounds of fat.

Sleep and Weight Loss - Eating a Balanced Diet

A balanced diet consists of equal amounts of proteins, fast carbohydrates (starches, breads, sugars), and complex, or slow carbohydrates (most fruits & vegetables). A good night's sleep supports better eating habits, which supports weight loss. So, a good night's sleep can both directly and indirectly affect the success rate in one's attempts to lose weight.

Sleep and Weight Loss - More than a Diet

There are many tricks for helping you get a good night's sleep including dimming the lights as bed time draws near, not exercising too close to bedtime, steering clear of all caffeine from mid-day or later, and drinking milk before bed.

Each person is different, so find what works for you. Eating balanced meals can also help the digestive track function well, which in turn produces less incidences of upset stomach or heartburn - both of which can keep you up at night.

Sleep and Weight Loss - It Requires Discipline

The relationship between successful weight loss and getting enough sleep is not only supported by scientific facts, but it's also a matter of practicality. As a sleep deprived individual tries to function, their focus can be poor, discipline can lag, and distractions can more easily sway a person's decisions, which can be a major contributing factor to a poor diet.

A sleep deprived individual will eat in a more undisciplined manner, and act more impulsively in response to an increasing appetite. A person not focusing on the discipline of eating balanced meals will consume more calories, and any progress in weight loss will go out the window. When you lack sleep, or don't sleep comfortably, or continually wake up throughout the night, it negatively affects your ability to lose weight.

Reese Richards is a former sleep apnea sufferer and chronic snorer. After researching sleep strategies for more than a decade, he has perfected his own personal sleep recipe and now helps others get the sleep they deserve. Get tips and strategies on how to fall asleep in his 55-page sleep ebook called Get to Sleep Now!

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@Sleep and Weight Loss 

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