Does sleeping make you slim?
I must admit I love my sleep and think there is nothing better than getting a good night’s snooze. When I don’t get my full 8 hours, I feel exhausted and moody the next day. I always perceived needing lots of sleep as a negative, but if recent research is to be believed the fact that I like my forty winks could positively impact on my eating habits and weight.
The news that a poor night’s sleep may play havoc with your waistline could cause the night owls amongst us to re-think their sleeping habits. According to research carried out by the Northwestern University, people who go to bed late eat an extra 248 calories per day compared to those who go earlier.
A number of facts tend to make this research even more believable. The longer you are awake, the more time you have to eat. How often have you been tempted to open a bag of popcorn or reach for the take away menu when you’re having a late night in front of the television? After a short nights rest, how many of you stop off for a cappuccino in Starbucks to get that pep in your step before work? All the little snacks we eat to either keep us awake, or wake us up due to lack of sleep add up!
We don’t need to sleep for 20 hours a day – due to the reduced rate at which we burn calories when we are sleeping, we would be lucky to burn the calories in a celery stick. There is a middle ground that can be reached – a minimum of 8 hours per night is recommended. If you are an insomniac who can happily survive on 5 or 6 hours sleep, it would do no harm to be a little more vigilant about what you are eating. For instance, if your dinner is at 6 o’ clock and you stay up until 1 am, try having a smaller dinner and then a small snack later on.
The link between weight gain and sleep isn’t just related to an increased urge to eat when you’re awake longer; it’s also about the sort of energetic state your body is in. If you aren’t sleeping very much and your body is exhausted, you will feel sluggish and lethargic and as a result the rate you burn calories could slow down. I had great intentions to go for a run last night, but I couldn’t manage much more than a short amble around the park. What was to blame – well, I was a social butterfly at the weekend and got very little sleep. Exercising less invariably means that you must eat less and if you don’t, you will gain weight.
Stress can have a lot to do with encouraging us to eat more. Comfort eating is a common way of dealing with stress. Getting adequate sleep can actually be a good way of coping with stress, so yet another reason to get at least 8 hours a night.
If you need more concrete scientific evidence behind the links between sleep and weight gain consider our hormonal and chemical make up. Our hormones and metabolic regulation appear to have a lot to do with how hungry we feel. Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. As a result, individuals who lose sleep may continue to feel hungry despite adequate food intake.
Research shows that sleep-deprived people who had the biggest hormonal changes felt the most hungry and craved carbohydrate-rich foods, including cakes, candy, ice cream, pasta and bread. Those who had the smallest changes reported being the least hungry.
So do a little experiment and aim for at least 8 hours of sleep each night this week. Hopefully a good sleep will positively effect the amount of activity you do, reduce your cravings and reduce your cravings.
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Catherine Matthews
Nutritionist
Having read about the sleep pattern,it diffidently rings a bell..I'm usually on the internet,till midnight .So that's something I'll try to do something about .It's a bad habit ,as hubby works till midnight I tend to still be up when he comes home,and maybe I have some milk and honey or a cracker and low low cheese..It all adds up ,so yes will have to unplug that PC and get to bed.....Oh dear what am I like The hazardous of technology ! ..Marie.
Comment by ALICE_EYESBLUE -
Hi Marie, when it comes to food everyone is different, so the above is definitely not going to be true of everyone. Also, you are working nights which means that you are probably sleeping more during the day. And typically the above angle is not about people who work nights, as that is an enforced situation. However research does indicate that late night sleeping and snacking can cause problems! Have a look at this article http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110504111143.htm Thanks Catherine
Comment by CATHERINEMATTHEWS -
i think the link is wrong, i work nights and i don't eat more than what i would do if i worked days.in fact i eat more during the day. is there evidence to back this up ????????
Comment by MARIEHANEY -
Hi, this must be extremely stressful and frustrating for you. I am sure you have spoken to your doctor about this. It might also be worthwhile chatting to a counsellor as it sounds as though you actually have forgotten how to relax enough to go to sleep, if that makes sense. Also, do try some meditation exercises and yoga. Catherine
Comment by CATHERINEMATTHEWS -
I've always thought my lack of sleep had an effect on health. For the past 24 years I've suffered from insomnia .I usually drop off to sleep about 6 am and either get up about 8am. Sometime Iam awake till 7 am.I think it started when i was very unhappy in my job . The thought of going asleep waking up then going into work played on my mind that I'd spin out the hours of being not at work ( does that make sense? ) Maybe once in a blue moon I'll have 5 hours sleep but then feel groggy and tired
Comment by ANITAMIKE -