How Sleeping Can be Beneficial for Weight Loss

If you fall short on sleep, it can affect your weight. When you are awake, your body cooks up a recipe for gaining weight. If you are short on sleep, it’s common to lean on something with caffeine and calories to get yourself moving.

How Sleep Can Help You Lose Weight

If you have been sleeping poorly and have noticed the pounds getting put on, you need to learn how sleep can help you lose weight. Sleep may be the missing factor if you have been struggling to lose weight. These are reasons how sleep can help you lose the weight you want.

1. Proper Sleep Decreases Calorie Intake

If you are not sleeping properly, your calorie intake is likely much higher than someone who gets a good night’s sleep. A study was conducted on participants who were allowed to sleep four hours a night. Their calorie intake was 559 calories higher than when these same four slept for eight hours.

The study only proves that you cannot eat as much if you are sleeping properly. When you are sleeping, your body burns calories. The rate at which a body burns calories is dependent on height, weight, age, muscle mass, and age. So, by sleeping you are not only not eating, but you are also burning calories.

2. Sleep Enhances Physical Activity

If you don’t get proper sleep each day, your physical activity will decrease. Sleep enhances your chances of getting out and being active as you feel rested with more energy. Proper sleep can also improve your athletic performance.

A study done on a team of basketball players where the participants were asked to get ten hours of sleep a night had positive results. This team became quicker, improved their reaction times and their fatigue levels dropped after seven weeks.

3. Sleep Will Help You Make Healthy Choices

If you do not get the proper amount of sleep, your brain works differently. Sleep helps your brain make better, healthier choices when it is fully rested. A sleep-deprived brain has a dulled frontal lobe which is responsible for your decision-making and self-control.

Getting the sleep your brain needs will help you with self-control and turn away tempting foods with calories. Studies have proven when a brain does not get the sleep it needs, an affinity for high-calorie foods increases.

Being short on sleep also makes it tempting to skip exercise, and get takeout food. Takeout is typically not as healthy and then fills you up. Being full may make you turn in late.

If this pattern continues throughout the year, you will end up putting on the pounds. There is a solution, however, for Weight Loss Treatment San Francisco. This solution will help you learn better patterns to take the weight off and keep it off.

What Happens With a Tired Brain?

When you lack sleep, your brain becomes tired. A tired brain allows you to make bad decisions. When your brain is sleepy, the frontal lobe, where decisions originate, becomes dull. The effect is almost like being drunk as you don’t have mental clarity.

Another effect of being tired is your brain’s reward centers become active. Your brain begins to look for things that will make it feel good. This search typically ends up with you looking for something sweet or high in calories.

Studies Prove Tired Brains Crave Snacks

A study found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states those who are lacking sleep will seek late-night snacks. The snacks are typically high-carb. A second study showed sleep-deprived persons would choose snacks that were high in fat.

Another study performed on sleep and its effects on weight gain show those who sleep too little, eat bigger. This pattern of eating will lead to weight gain. Other studies have been done to prove lack of sleep leads to increased food cravings.

In Conclusion

Eating right and exercising are two very important components for maintaining your weight. Another significant factor is getting the sleep your body needs. If you sleep poorly, it will alter the way your body reacts to foods. A good night’s sleep will increase your ability to resist temptations and control the portions of food you do eat.