Bring on Life - How Does Sleep Deprivation Affect Weight Loss?

Bring on Life – How Does Sleep Deprivation Affect Weight Loss?

Sleep is as important to your body as food and water.

You may already know the feelings you have after a night of no sleep – the next day you feel cranky, drowsy, with slowed thinking and a lack of energy.

But going days without sleep is a whole different animal than spending one sleepless night.

In fact, getting less than 7 hours of sleep on a regular basis can have serious, far-reaching effects on your body.

Sleep deprivation not only leads to immunodeficiency diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health disorders but also affects your weight and gastrointestinal health.

Read on to understand what happens to your gastrointestinal system when you don’t get enough sleep and how sleep deprivation impacts weight loss.

How Lack of Sleep Can Cause You to Gain Weight

Over the past decades, studies revealed that around one-third of American adults don’t get enough sleep.

For much of the same period, US obesity prevalence increased, reflecting a link between sleep deprivation and weight gain.

While there is still continuing debate about the exact relationship between poor sleep and negative changes in metabolism, many existing studies highlight how sleep deprivation leads to an increase in BMI (Body Mass Index).

Let’s break down the science behind sleep deprivation and weight loss.

Sleep deprivation affects your body’s regulation of leptin and ghrelin. These “hunger hormones” are the big players in regulating your appetite, which is significantly influencing your body weight.

In layman’s terms, sleep deprivation may increase ghrelin levels (the hormone that sends a signal to your brain to feel hungry) and decrease leptin levels (the hormone that provides the sensation of satiety).

As a result, you are more likely to overeat – not to mention that more time awake means more opportunities to eat.

A study published in the Journal of Lipid Research shows that skimping on sleep alters how your body metabolises fats.

This is because sleep deprivation changes insulin sensitivity – the hormone that regulates metabolism and controls the amount of sugar in your bloodstream.

The study revealed that high insulin and blood sugar levels result in faster clearance of fats from food. This, in turn, can lead to weight gain.

Not getting enough sleep results in having less energy for physical activity and increases the risk of injury while exercising.

In addition, your body does not have the ability to recover from the stress of physical activity without sleep, meaning you are likely to hit a workout plateau and see all of your progress stalling out.

So, you won’t accomplish much at the gym when you’re sleep-deprived except feeling even more exhausted and perhaps building up resentment toward exercise.

Skimping on sleep can cause a rise in another hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol is a hormone that regulates many processes throughout the body, including metabolism and the immune response. It is well known for playing a key role in the body’s stress response.

High cortisol levels over a prolonged time can lead to intestinal permeability (also known as “leaky gut”).

The leaky gut syndrome may cause symptoms such as nutritional deficiencies, constipation, and bloating that could hinder your fitness journey.

How to Cope with Sleep Deprivation

There are many factors that can contribute to sleep deprivation, including work obligations, sleeping environment, a new baby disrupting sleep schedule, lifestyle choices, and poor sleep hygiene.

However, for most people, sleep deprivation is driven by voluntary choices. When you’re crazy busy and have a packed schedule, you feel that cutting sleep is the only way to have more hours each day.

Depending on what causes you to skimp on sleep, there are a few simple ways to get back on track with good sleep hygiene:

Limiting or avoiding daytime naps
Going to bed at the same time each night
Learn how to manage your time more effectively so you get more done in a day (there are countless time management techniques that can help you do that, such as the popular Pomodoro technique)
Doing relaxing activities at least one hour before bed (e.g., taking a bath, meditating, etc.)
Reducing alcohol intake
Avoid overeating before bedtime
Avoid caffeine for four to six hours before bedtime
Stop using electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed
Include in your diet foods and drinks that have sleep-promoting properties (e.g., heart-healthy fats such as almonds, walnuts and peanut butter, complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain bread and brown rice, lean protein such as chicken, turkey and fish, chamomile tea, or fresh herbs such as sage and basil)
Find ways to ease stress (I know these days it’s hard not to get overwhelmed, but it is extremely important to give your mind time off from stress. Try to set aside time for activities you enjoy, whether it’s yoga, spending time in nature, reading, or watching a movie)
Drink enough water to stay hydrated and ensure you digest food properly and absorb nutrients
Set boundaries in your work and social life and don’t sacrifice sleep for any personal or professional demands
Establish a bedtime routine and get ready for bed following the same steps each night