How important is sleep for weight loss?

If you are following a weight loss program or visiting a slimming centre but still not getting the desired results, you must be doing something wrong. Before you blame it on your poor diet or lack of exercise, ask yourself whether you are having enough sleep every night. Often, we underestimate the importance of a good night’s sleep for weight loss. A chronic sleep debt can undo all the positive results from hours of exercising and days of healthy dieting. Here is how adequate sleep helps you to lose weight.

Balances hormone levels

Leptin and Ghrelin are two hormones responsible for your appetite. While Leptin helps suppress your appetite, Ghrelin enhances it. When you do not get enough sleep, your body produces less Leptin and more Gherlin. As a result, you may end up eating more resulting to a weight gain . The only way to restore the hormonal balance is by getting adequate amount sleep every night.

Improves metabolism

Lack of sleep may boost the cortisol levels in your blood, which may affect your metabolism. Cortisol turns protein into glucose. With excessive glucose stored in your body, you may gain fat. Cortisol also affects your ability to develop muscles. If you want lower Cortisol levels in your blood naturally, you need to sleep well.

Expedites growth and recovery

Your body produces growth hormones when you sleep. Growth hormones help speed up the process of growth. You start to grow stronger. If you get any muscle injury during exercise, you can recover faster during sleep. Taking rest allows your body to heal, grow, regenerate, and lose weight.

How to improve your sleep

If you have a very busy schedule, you may not get enough sleep despite your best efforts. You know that sleep is important, but it is easier said than done. So here are some useful tips.

• Make a schedule – Depending on your work hours, you may want to go to bed a little late. That’s okay, as long as you complete your eight hours of sleep every night. If you plan to go to bed at 11 pm, set your morning alarm at 7 am. If you get to bed at 12 am, you should wake up at 8 am. Make your own schedule and stick to it – no matter what.
• Restrict the entry of electronic items to your bedroom – Watching TV or using mobile phones before sleep may distract you easily. Instead, you can read a book or write something. That is a great way to ensure going to bed on time every night.
• Avoid procrastination – Procrastination is a bigger problem than you can even imagine. Many people fail to follow a schedule due to procrastination. They don’t start working until it’s too late. This can cause you to miss deadlines and extend your work hours, which would eventually affect your sleep time. You should address this issue very seriously. If required, seek advice from a good counsellor.

In some cases, lacking of sleep could be a medical symptom. If you find difficulty having a good night’s sleep despite your best efforts, consider seeing a doctor. Sleep well and visit a slimming centre to speed up your weight loss.