It is very common, when we think about losing weight , to focus on eating well and training. But there are other factors that count. The key to success and one of the main tips to lose weight has precisely to do with quality of sleep . If you just thought “Mine is a disgrace …”, then be sure to read through!
Did you sleep badly and wake up wanting to eat sweets? It’s normal
Think with me: how many times has it ever happened to you, after a bad night’s sleep, to feel a huge urge to eat sweets or fast-food ? Well, either because we slept for a few hours or because the sleep was of poor quality, this sensation is very common.
On these days, we feel an immense need to eat a chocolate to be able to work, a more caloric meal to have energy, or the tiredness is so much that we can’t even go to train. However weight loss tips you follow, if you don’t sleep well, the path to lose weight will be much more troubled.
4 Negative effects of sleep deprivation
All these sensations and needs are interconnected, having sleep deprivation as a common point. Let’s see what science tells us about its impact on difficulty losing weight :
- Sleep deprivation increases the levels of hormones that stimulate appetite , namely ghrelin , and reduces the levels of hormones that lower it, such as leptin . This hormonal dysregulation makes the worse our sleep, the greater our hunger;
- If we stay up all night , we have a greater window of opportunity to eat. The hours we would spend sleeping are often spent hand in hand with a snack, generally of poor nutritional quality and with high caloric density ;
- Short or poor quality sleep causes fatigue . Thus, we are less likely to do physical activity at the appropriate intensity the next day;
- Sleep deprivation increases the levels of cortisol at night, the stress hormone, causing metabolic consequences that impair the slimming . When we sleep poorly, we have a greater risk of insulin resistance, meaning our ability to use carbohydrates as an energy source decreases. There is also a greater gain in abdominal fat , an inflammatory fat that increases the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease or cancer. Thus, in addition to increasing the risk of developing diseases, sleep deprivation will worsen your body composition, increasing the percentage of fat and reducing muscle mass .
Bedding up early and getting up early is one of the main tips for losing weight
There are lots of tips for emagrecer and, in fact, this is a process that requires a combination of several factors. Therefore, specifically with regard to quality of sleep , it is important that you follow the following recommendations:
- Fall asleep between 10 pm and 11 pm , time when melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone, is on its greater capacity to act;
- Try early dinner and avoid suppers. Eating food at night will activate the body again, waking it up, instead of driving it to sleep;
- Avoid consuming stimulating substances when bedtime approaches, such as green or black tea, coffee, soft drinks, ginger and sugar;
- Reduce exposure to light at night by opting for low intensity lights . Also decrease the use of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and even television. Reading, talking or meditating can be good activities for the night;
- Eat foods that include sources of tryptophan, magnesium and vitamin B6, to aid in the production of melatonin . Eating a healthy diet, increasing the consumption of fruit, tubers, vegetables, oilseeds is a good tip for losing weight.
If you want to stay healthy and lose some weight, follow our tips to lose weight and pay more attention to your sleep.
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