A lack of sleep will actually cause you to gain unwanted weight.
Interesting, but think about it; if you don’t sleep enough you become tired, and what do you do when you’re tired? Grab a
cup of coffee, or something sugary to boost your energy level.
Today, the average person spends 7 hours or less tucked away at night.
That’s not so good, but the fact of the matter is while on a diet you need to get 7-9 hours of solid sleep per night.
Why is sleep important to our weight?
Two key hormones play a part in regulating our weight during sleep: Ghrelin and Leptin.
Ghrelin tells you when it’s time to eat and you have more in your system when you are sleep deprived, therefore your body wants to eat more often.
Leptin tells you when to stop eating and is in short supply when you don’t get enough sleep, therefore your body doesn’t know when it’s satisfied.
A lot of Ghrelin and little leptin equals unnecessary weight gain.
Metabolism is affected in a huge way during sleep.
If you are not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night your metabolism will be slower.
Because of this your body has a hard time breaking down carbohydrates, which leads to high blood sugar levels that increase insulin in the body. This results in our body storing unused energy as body fat.
That is something you definitely want to avoid while you are trying to get rid of fat.
How can you avoid sleep deprivation?
Avoiding sleep deprivation at all costs is very important to your diet.
Do not drink anything containing caffeine after 2 p.m. Even if you manage to fall asleep after drinking caffeine, it will keep you in the lighter stages of sleep, therefore your body is not releasing the correct amount of hormones needed.
Be sure not to eat a large meal before you sleep. It is extremely hard for your body to break this down during sleep resulting in it being stored as body fat. If you absolutely need something to eat before bed, I would recommend a small, healthy snack.
Try going to sleep a little early tonight. What’s more important to you, television or your health? Going to bed around the same time every night has been proven a way to help you sleep deeply throughout the night.
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