Sleep is super important and not enough people prioritise it like they should, not just for weight loss but for your general health and wellbeing too.
A lack of sleep can lead to a heap of problems and believe me you want to avoid them all. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can lead to gaining weight and obesity.
Being sleep deprived will leave you less active due to your tiredness. Being more inactive ultimately cause you to burn fewer calories the next day compared to if you had a full night's sleep.
This alone can cause you to gain weight.
The optimal range is between 7-8 hours per night, studies have also shown people who sleep more than 9 hours also tend to be overweight.
Meaning more is not always better.
Getting too much sleep has been linked to other health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression. This is why getting the optimal amount is so important.
Getting the right amount of sleep also helps with hormone functions and balance. Cortisone, (your stress hormone) is lowered with the right amount of sleep. High-stress levels are something you need to limit not only for your health and sanity but also your waistline.
High-stress levels have been linked to weight gain, poor skin quality, depression, and more. A lack of sleep has also been shown to increase your hunger hormone (Ghrelin) levels as much as 28%.
Therefore getting less than 7 hours of sleep you will have an increase in your appetite due to being tired. When we are tired we seek more food and comfort this along with increased ghrelin will make it much harder for you to stay in a calorie deficit.
Getting as close as you can to 7-8 hours of sleep will give you more energy for your workouts.
Have you ever tried training when you have zero energy? It’s sucks!!! Your strength is as low as your effort, your performance sucks which leads to you having an awful workout.
This will prevent you from progressing in the gym and keep you from your goals.
This ultimately leads to a bad mood, rubbish workout, high hunger, and minimal results simply because you prioritise things over your sleep.
If you do struggle with getting a good night's sleep fear not as here are some tips to help improve your sleep quality.
1. Use blackout curtains, melatonin (also known as the sleep hormone) levels rise as the sun goes down, signaling our bodies it’s time to rest. Unnatural lights can affect and confuse this hormone into thinking its still day. When its dark your body produces more melatonin.
2. Have a routine, we are habitual creatures so having a good routine will help with your sleep quality. Aim to go to bed the same time every night t helps your mind start to unwind as it recognises the routine before you sleep.
3. Be more active, start exercising and exerting your energy levels more in the day. And I don’t mean start a 30 minute HIIT workout just before bedtime, then try jump in bed to sleep, that won’t work. But throughout the day you need to be more active and try exercising to burn off your energy levels so when it comes to bedtime your body is ready for it.
If you want the best from your body and the best results possible you need to focus on getting the right amount of sleep per night. If you struggle with sleeping try these 3 tips, if you sleep too much set 10 alarms and get your ass up.
Napping is also great, studies have shown that a 20-30 minute naps help improve your cortisone levels. So if you are feeling sluggish mid-day or you had a bad night's sleep be sure to relive your childhood and grab a quick power nap to help.