Is lack of sleep preventing you from losing weight?

Do you sleep enough? Do you have difficulties to fallen asleep or sleeping? This year 2017 make sleep a priority by following few helpful tips.

In my practice I always ask my clients if they pay attention to quality of their sleep. I am hearing that many of my clients have difficulties to sleep through the night.

Most of us know how important sleep is for energy, focusing, healthy weight and overall good health. But not many of us know what to do if sleep is an issue.

Insufficient sleep is a very important stressor on the body. It has been linked with obesity, insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases, depression, anxiety and other health complaints.

This article explains the connection between poor sleep and gaining weight. Good sleep is as important to health and weight as are daily eating and exercise.

Research view

Researchers found that when dieters decreased the hours of sleep during 14 days, the amount of weight loss from fat dropped by 55% even though their food was welled balanced. They felt hungrier, less satisfied after meals and their energy was lower.

University of Chicago researchers say that lack of sleep makes us ‘metabolically groggy’. During 4 days of inadequate sleep, the body’s ability to produce insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar or starchy food into energy is skewed. Insulin sensitivity dropped more than 30%.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that when people had not enough sleep they tend to choose carb-snacks at night. These people preferred to eat a larger portion of food resulting in weight gain.

I also observed that my clients who are sleep deprived crave much more junk carbohydrates food for energy.

Hormonal responses are the issue

Insufficient sleep impacts our hunger hormone called ghrelin and fullness hormone called leptin.

When we are sleep deprived our body produces much more ghrelin. Therefore we eat more than we should.

The level of leptin, on the other hand, drops after having a restless night signaling the brain to eat.

There is another hormone, called cortisol that spikes after insufficient hours of sleep. This hormone signals our body to convert anything we eat into fat to give us energy during the day.

After understanding these hormonal reactions, it’s clear that sleep deprivation must lead to extra weight and uncontrolled eating.

Here is what you should do to improve a quality of sleep

1.      Shut down all electronic devices (TV, computer, smart phone) and dim artificial indoor light at least 2 hours before going to bed. The light from all of these sources decreases melatonin production, hormone involve in sleep regulation.

2.      Create a bedtime routine. Take a warm bath, shower, meditate or read a relaxing book.

3.      Wake up and rest at the same time every day.

4.      Keep your bedroom cool and dark.

5.      Manage your stress during the day. This is one of the most frequent reasons people can’t fall asleep because they can’t ‘turn off their brain’. If the sympathetic nervous system, a.k.a. ‘fight or flight’ mode, is non-stop activated during the day, it’s almost unrealistic to switch our brain to parasympathetic mode or ‘rest and digest’ right after we go to bed. Therefore it is important to practice stress-management techniques such as yoga, stretches or meditation to improve sleep.

6.      Avoid eating a heavy meal and alcohol close to bedtime. Stay away from caffeine and chocolate after 2pm. Caffeine can stay in our system for 5 to 6 hours.

7.      Solve sleep-related issues like sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome (RLS). Sleep apnea is common among obese people, someone who has high blood pressure, diabetes or a history of snoring. It is recommended to be tested by a sleep specialist to address this issue.

8.      Try magnesium. This mineral has calming effect on the nervous system. Several studies have found magnesium to be effective in treating insomnia. I usually recommend Natural Calm before bedtime.

I’d like to hear from you. Do you have trouble sleeping? Are you concern about your weight? If yes, please contact me.

If you like this article, please share these comments with your friends and family.

And remember, I am here to help you.

To your health and healthy weight!

Maria Pawlicka  M.Sc., BAA, CNP

Certified and Registered Nutritionist