Can You Lose Weight by Sleeping More?
Getting adequate sleep is important for everyone, but it’s especially crucial for those who are trying to lose weight. Not only can sleep help reduce cravings and prevent a late night snack, it can also increase your motivation to exercise and enhance athletic performance.
New research suggests that sleeping more can be just as effective in helping you lose weight as reducing your calorie intake, according to the University of Chicago. When people with the lowest-quality sleep – fewer than 6.5 hours a night – were asked to increase their sleep duration to 8 hours for two weeks, they cut their daily calorie consumption by around 270 calories. If maintained over three years, that translates to an average 26-pound weight loss.
The researchers looked at a group of overweight adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 25-29.9. They enrolled 80 participants who tended to regularly sleep fewer than 6.5 hours each night.
Once the participants were in the study, they were randomized to one of two groups. The first group stayed on the same sleep routine as before, while the second group was asked to increase their sleep to 8 hours for two weeks.
In addition to reducing the amount of food they consumed during the day, those who slept more reduced their BMI by a small but significant amount. The participants had an average BMI of 26.6, compared to the control group’s 27.9.
Another reason sleep is so essential to losing weight: When you are tired, your hunger hormones are out of whack. They cause you to crave junk food. In addition, the stress hormone cortisol spikes, which causes your body to conserve energy for a long time and leads to fat storage.
Getting more sleep also improves your mood and makes you more likely to stay committed to your weight loss goals. In fact, one 2017 study found that participants who slept more reported a higher level of enthusiasm for physical activity, and that those who slept less often reported lower levels of motivation to keep up with their goals.
You can get more quality sleep by avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed. These can interfere with your natural sleep patterns and make it harder to fall asleep.
Turn off your TV, phone and other electronics before bedtime. These can suppress melatonin, which helps regulate your metabolism.
If you have trouble falling asleep, try using a relaxation technique called abdominal breathing. It helps focus your mind and muscles, which can lead to a better sleep.
Besides allowing you to fall asleep quicker, practicing abdominal breathing can also help you burn more fat while you sleep.
The trick is to do it consistently, so that your body gets used to the practice. To get started, practice this every night before you go to sleep.
Ultimately, getting enough sleep is the best way to lose weight, but it can’t take the place of eating well and exercising. Those are the only real ways to keep your weight down for good.
