The Importance Of Sleep & How It Affects The Weight

Sep 17

A lot has been said about the effect of sleep on our overall wellbeing. What we know for sure, is that several studies have confirmed that sleep can affect our health and weight as much as diet and exercise do.

Since we are a sleep-deprived society with around 30% of the population reporting sleeping less than 6 hours per night, let us go through the causes and consequences:

Being sleep deprived dulls the activity of the brain’s frontal lobe, the part of decision-making and impulse control.

In addition, when you’re overly tired and stressed, your body tries to produce serotonin (a happy hormone) to calm you down.
Those two physiological reactions are a recipe for eating more comfort foods of high-fat and high-carb sources.
So, while you are able to control food cravings when well-rested, your sleep-deprived brain will have trouble saying no to a Latte Grande, a 2nd piece of cake or a late-night fast-food take-out.
Not to forget that when you are tired, you are more likely to skip your morning run or afternoon yoga class, which breaks your workout regimen and reduces your daily calorie burning.
Sleeplessness can also fool your body into thinking you’re in danger. Your metabolism slows because your body is trying to maintain its storage. It also wants more fuel.
On the longer term, the impact of sleep deprivation is largely associated with the prevalence of both diabetes type II and obesity.

In order to understand further why sleep is important to our bodies, let us discuss the functions of the 4 main hormones:

1. Leptin and Ghrelin:

Leptin is an appetite suppressant hormone produced by adipose tissue.

Ghrelin is released from the stomach primarily in response to fasting and promotes the feeling of hunger.

When you are exhausted:

Ghrelin is boosted to compensate for the lack of energy, increasing the feeling of hunger

AND

Leptin is depleted, reducing the feeling of satiety.

According to research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a study of 225 participants found that those who spent 4 hours in bed for 5 consecutive nights gained 2 pounds (around 1 kilogram) more than those who were in bed for about 10 hours over a course of a week.

2. Cortisol:

The more sleep-deprived you are à the higher your stress-hormone “Cortisol” à the higher your appetite.

This vicious circle could make you gain weight on the long run.

3. Insulin:

Within just 4 days of insufficient sleep, your body’s ability to process insulin - a hormone needed to change glucose (blood sugar) to energy - gets reduced.

According to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine, losing out on sleep can reduce insulin sensitivity from cells by 30% and consequently lead to an increase in fat storage.

While food is nutrition to our body, its complement is a decent amount of deep sleep for a healthy brain, body and soul. A good night sleep is important for all people but the time varies significantly among age groups with for example: teenagers being at 8 to 10 hours and adults at 7 to 9 hours per night.

In addition to age, other factors can affect how many hours of sleep you need:

Pregnancy: Changes in the body during early pregnancy can increase the need for sleep.
Aging: Older adults tend to sleep more lightly and for shorter time spans than do younger adults.
Previous sleep deprivation: If you're sleep deprived, the amount of sleep you need increases.
Sleep quality: If your sleep is frequently interrupted, you're not getting quality sleep. The quality of your sleep is just as important as the quantity.

On a side note, people who work night shifts or travel a lot as well as patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea might have irregular or interrupted sleep with subsequent higher prevalence of weight gain and health risks if they are not cautious.

To end the cycle of sleep deprivation and be on track with your weight goals, you could:

If you are an adult, figure out your bedtime by calculating if possible 7.5 hours before the time to wake up, this way you make sure to have enough sleep.
Keep that time consistent from day to day in order to make your body wake itself up at the proper time (ultimately without an alarm clock).
If you are still having sleep issues, have a sleep diary to track when you are falling asleep and when you are waking up (or have a smart watch that could accurately detect your deep sleep time).

Also make sure to jot down other sleep-related markers, like your energy throughout the day, exercise, caffeine intake, alcohol and stress levels.

Create a relaxing bedtime routine: This could include taking a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to calming music.
Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool: These conditions are ideal for sleep.
Take a power nap of 30 minutes when needed!
Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed: These substances can interfere with sleep. It is also preferable to limit your caffeine intake to 2 cups of coffee or tea a day J
Get regular exercise: Exercise can help improve sleep quality. However, avoid exercising too close to bedtime, as this can make it harder to fall asleep.
See a doctor if you have chronic sleep problems: If you're having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. There may be an underlying medical condition that's causing your sleep problems.

Here are my old-time favorite French lullabies; I hope you enjoy them!