Hit the
Snooze Button to Lose Weight
Hit that snooze button
and sleep in a little later tomorrow. It's one of the best kept secrets to
dieting success.
Yep, according to
research, getting enough sleep (8 or more hours every single night) helps your
body burn more fat when you're dieting. Maybe you should head to bed earlier,
too, for good measure.
Sleep Tight, Melt Fat
In a small study, getting less than the optimal amount of sleep each night had detrimental effects on a group of dieters. After 2 weeks, the dieters who had spent a mere 5.5 hours sleeping each night lost 55 percent less body fat compared with the dieters who spent 8.5 hours snoozing nightly. And here's the really big surprise. Not only did the light sleepers burn less body fat, but also their weight loss efforts carved away substantially more lean body mass than did similar efforts by the good sleepers. Not good, because muscle helps keep your metabolism fired up, so you naturally burn more calories throughout the day.
In a small study, getting less than the optimal amount of sleep each night had detrimental effects on a group of dieters. After 2 weeks, the dieters who had spent a mere 5.5 hours sleeping each night lost 55 percent less body fat compared with the dieters who spent 8.5 hours snoozing nightly. And here's the really big surprise. Not only did the light sleepers burn less body fat, but also their weight loss efforts carved away substantially more lean body mass than did similar efforts by the good sleepers. Not good, because muscle helps keep your metabolism fired up, so you naturally burn more calories throughout the day.
Hoarding Fuel
But that's not all. The short-duration sleepers also had higher levels of ghrelin in their system -- a hormone that induces hunger. And it seems that extra ghrelin triggered an energy-starved body to retain fat and calories rather than burn them. Interestingly, both groups of dieters lost the same amount of weight. But given the difference in muscle loss and appetite hormones as well as in calorie burning, it's easy to speculate that the good sleepers are better set up for long-term weight loss success.
But that's not all. The short-duration sleepers also had higher levels of ghrelin in their system -- a hormone that induces hunger. And it seems that extra ghrelin triggered an energy-starved body to retain fat and calories rather than burn them. Interestingly, both groups of dieters lost the same amount of weight. But given the difference in muscle loss and appetite hormones as well as in calorie burning, it's easy to speculate that the good sleepers are better set up for long-term weight loss success.
Sleep deprivation interferes with appetite-suppressing hormones,
increases stress hormone levels, and decreases a person's glucose tolerance,
all of which may contribute to weight gain. Another way sleep loss may help
pile on the pounds: late-night munching. Go to bed and get up at the same time
each day to help achieve sounder sleep.
Although more research is needed to confirm the link between
sleep and weight, getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night can make your Real Age
as much as 3 years younger and help improve your mood. Overweight and obese
adults are more likely to report skimping on sleep compared to people with
healthy body mass indexes. Expending more calories than you take in is the
simple science behind any successful weight-loss program. The best way to do
this is to eat a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and boost the amount of time you
spend exercising. Other habits may boost your weight loss efforts or hamper
them. For example, skimping on sleep negatively alters levels of hormones
involved in carbohydrate metabolism and appetite control, which may contribute
to weight gain. And living a hectic, high-stress lifestyle may make it harder
for you to focus on your health and may increase the likelihood that you'll
make poor food choices and skip your exercise routine. Set yourself up for
success by living a balanced lifestyle, in addition to balancing calorie intake
and expenditure
Don't skip meals. It's a setup for
dieting disaster.
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