How sleep can help you lose weight

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, or are currently trying, you understand how incredibly difficult it can be. Did you know sleep can help you lose weight? It seems like everything is against you, from beginning to end. In order to be successful, you need to brave the complicated world of nutrition information and the equally complex issue of exercise to shed off the pounds in the most effective way. While these are both important things to consider, most individuals forget one crucial aspects of their weight loss journey: their sleep.

Here are a few reasons why good sleep should be a part of your weight loss plans:

 

Being Tired is Like Being Drunk

This is not a joke. If you do not get enough sleep at night your brain becomes over tired. When your brain becomes over tired, the pleasure/reward centers of your brain start firing because your brain wants to start feeling better. This equates to poor impulse control. You might have a nutritional breakfast and a great workout, but my lunchtime the thought of a juicy hamburger and fries is just too much to resist. If you have a hard time avoiding the tasty stuff that is sabotaging your weight loss, give yourself an edge and get a good night’s sleep.  

 

Hunger Hormones

It turns out that our body uses two hormones to help us regulate our eating habits: leptin and ghrelin. Ghrelin kicks in to tell your brain that it is chow time, whereas leptin cues your brain to slow down or stop eating. A nice balance of these two is super helpful when it comes to losing weight. Unfortunately, too little sleep interferes with the ways these hormones are produced. When you are overtired, your brain produces more ghrelin and less leptin. You basically not only feel the need to eat more often, but you also won’t feel the need to stop as quickly. That is a quick way to derail progress in losing weight.

 

Increased Snacking

While the previous points were more physical, this next one has to do with time. Simply put, the longer you are up, the more likely you are to snack on a bag of chips or grab a bowl full of ice cream. Even if you are snacking on healthier options, you are still eating more and adding calories to your day. Simply going to bed earlier can cut out a substantial amount of calories just because you aren’t awake to eat them.

 

Metabolism Boost

Weight loss, though it can be complicated, basically boils down to the simple math of burning more calories than you take in. This is why exercise is so important, because it burns calories during activity and then stokes your metabolism for the rest of the day! Rest, though your body isn’t moving, is just as vital to a healthy metabolism as exercise. Studies suggest that individuals who get better sleep also enjoy a higher metabolism, which speeds their weight loss.

 

Better Shopping Habits

You probably already know that it is a bad idea to go shopping while hungry. People tend to buy all kinds of things that they don’t need and aren’t good for them when they shop hungry. But, did you know that you also shouldn’t go shopping when tired? Studies suggest that well rested individuals make better shopping decisions than their sleep deprived counterparts.This point has a double incentive. Not only will you get healthier options and keep to the things you need for your weight loss, you will also be buying less. What could possibly be better than losing pounds while saving money?

 

You will spend a huge chunk of your life sleeping and for very good reason, because sleep helps you maintain a healthy weight on top of the absolutely vital mental and emotional health benefits. Sometimes, people find it difficult to get enough sleep at night. Stress, sleep apnea, or just a long day can sometimes interrupt our sleep patterns. If you find it difficult to get to sleep at a good time or stay asleep at night, try some of these tips to help you get the sleep you need.  Check out this mattress I’ve fallen in love with and claim this exclusive discount.