enough sleep

Lose Weight While You Sleep: How?

Can you lose weight while you sleep? Well, yes in the respect that weight loss happens all the time — not just while you’re awake. However, there’s something you really need to know about sleeping and losing weight.

There is a connection. If you don’t get enough sleep, it may prevent you from losing weight (or at least slow down your weight loss). But why?

Today I have guest author Gail Davis, who has put together some great information on how sleep deprivation can slow down or even prevent weight loss. Especially in today’s culture of trying to get as much done as possible, sleep may be losing out to chores, activities, work, etc. And really, we sleep in order to be healthy. So let’s see what Gail has written on sleep and weight loss.

Lose Weight While You Sleep; Sleep Deprivation and Weight Loss

Let me ask a question — are you plagued by sleep deprivation? Do you get your 8 hours of sleep in a night? No? Then let’s look at some facts.

In the past 40 years, American obesity has risen from one in nine adults to one in three. And here’s something to consider. During the same time frame, there has been a decrease in the amount of sleep by up to two hours each night!

Unfortunately, this isn’t just an American issue. A study recently conducted at the University of British Columbia on adults between the ages of 32 and 49 determined that participants who slept less than seven hours a night were significantly more likely to be obese!

Why is this? Well, there are 2 hormones, leptin and ghrelin that may be responsible for these alarming statistics. Let’s take a closer look.

Your energy intake and expenditure are both regulated by leptin, whose primary purpose is to tell the brain when you’ve eaten enough.

Now for the flip side: ghrelin’s main function is to trigger hunger. Your ghrelin levels are naturally higher prior to a meal and naturally lower following a meal.

Leptin, Ghrelin and Sleep

How is sleep affected by these hormones? It’s because when your body is deprived of adequate sleep, it produces more ghrelin, which is the appetite stimulator. And again the flip side, it also produces less leptin, which is the appetite depressant! Do you see where this is going?

A study conducted at The University of Chicago in 2004 demonstrated alarming results. Participants, who slept only four hours a night for two nights in a row, had an increase in their ghrelin levels by 28% and a decrease in their leptin levels by 18%!

Appetites on Overdrive

Would you agree that these number show that sleep deprivation appears to cause people to have appetites that are on overdrive? As if that weren’t alarming enough, the same lack of sleep hinders the body’s ability to recognize that it’s had enough food. It’s quite a vicious circle.

About the Author:
Gail M. Davis offers more facts about the alarming relationship between sleep deprivation and weight-related. Peruse her website, Easy Weight Loss Tips where you’ll find many weight-related topics such as this in addition to healthy recipes.

Sleep and Your Diet

Thanks, Gail, for this information. You’ve given us quite a bit to think about. We’ve always know that we really do need to get the proper amount of rest. I know for me, it’s at least 7 hours a night, with 8 even better. I’ve never thought about if getting less than 7 hours regularly would hinder my weight loss.

But I do remember a time in my life where 7 hours of sleep a night was actually a luxury; I usually got 6 or less. And despite the fact I hadn’t changed anything else (same amount of exercise, no change in the foods I normally ate), I do remember being hungrier.

So, you really can lose weight while you sleep — just not in the way you might expect. What about you? Do you get the sleep you need on a regular basis? Do you notice a difference to your appetite on days where you didn’t get enough sleep the night before?

When it comes to losing weight, we need all the help we can get. Now consider that sleep is another tool in your fight against weight!