At the beginning of a wellness journey, we may not think about how sleep quality will impact us, aside from feeling tired when we go to exercise. As we work on the 1% rule of getting a little better each time we exercise, this can be the same for sleeping and eating. When we sleep well, our workouts feel better, and our hunger urges tend to be less of a struggle. Good sleep quality reduces stress, which can cause us to use food as an outlet. I’ll explain how sleep impacts weight loss and wellness, plus some strategies to help get better sleep.
When I struggle most in maintaining or losing weight, it is often associated with stress and lacking sleep. I sometimes find myself up at night thinking about what I need to do or obsessing over some problem. After tracking my habits for a long time, I have found that, most of the time, the next day I overeat and crave a lot of sweets. Let’s dive into understanding sleep and wellness.
Sleep and Hunger Hormones
There are five types of hunger hormones: Leptin, Ghrelin, GLP-1, Cortisol and Insulin. While these impact our food intake, I want to focus on the first two – leptin and ghrelin. These two hormones work together to regulate your appetite, any imbalance in them can disrupt eating habits. Low sleep quality impacts weight loss by disrupting these hormones.
According to Verywell Health, ghrelin is the hormone that tells us we are hungry. When the stomach is empty, it signals us to eat. Leptin tells us when we are full. When our stomach is full, it tells us to stop eating. They also impact our metabolism since they affect our energy, which burns calories. There are several conditions which negatively affect hormones including: obesity, eating disorders, diabetes, fatigue (being overly tired) and trouble sleeping.
According to the Mayo Clinic, not getting enough sleep increases ghrelin (hunger) and decreases leptin (satiety). This causes a decreases metabolism, which leads to less fat loss and lower energy levels. Sleep deprivation causes tiredness during the day and makes you less likely to want to participate in activities. Ultimately your less active and eat more, which makes weight loss or maintenance difficult.
Sleep Deprivation and Food Choices
Lacking sleep often leads to cravings for less nutritious foods, especially those high in sugar, fat and refined carbs. Our reward system becomes more sensitive to these foods, our body is craving foods that will increase our energy quickly. We are looking to feel good, even if it is temporary.
When we’re tired, we’re more stressed, making it hard to control these sensations. This impacts our ability to make decisions. Willpower and decision making are put aside to get a quick fix. This leads to impulse decisions and a harder time making healthy choices.
Optimal Sleep for Weight Loss
As we established, sleep is essential to supporting successful weight loss and wellness. On average, about 35% of adults sleep fewer than 7 hours a night. It’s recommended that adults get 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night to boost daily function, reduce stress and support wellness.
When I started tracking my sleep habits, I started noticing patterns in my eating habits. This helped me begin to understand how one impacted the other. This doesn’t mean that you won’t have sleepless nights, but understanding how is the start. I wore a smartwatch that tracked my exercise, eating habits and sleep. I also had a book where I logged my sleep time along with counting my calories. When I understood this, I was able to make changes.
Practical Improvement Strategies
I first focused on setting specific sleep preparation strategies. First, I try to stick to a consistent bedtime and wake up schedule. I go to bed around 9pm each night and wake up between 5 and 6 am each morning, depending on my workout plan. My bedtime routine is pretty consistent, which includes stopping eating after 7pm, not drinking an hour before bed and running a scented diffuser to help with relaxation.
I have also set my bedroom up in a way that I try to minimize the amount of light that comes into my room. Not only do I block natural light, but I cover any light that is emitted by technology because this distracts me from falling asleep. I limit my technology use at least 30 minutes before I go to bed, which not only helps my eyes, but it also allows my brain to relax. Lastly, I meditate or read an affirmation for 5-10 minutes before going to sleep. All this allows me to clear my head and prepare my body for rest.
Emphasize Sleep as a Foundational Element for Successful Weight Loss
It’s amazing how much sleep impacts a weight loss journey. When we understand that it impacts our stress levels, hormones and willpower, it’s not surprising how important it is. When I was watching my niece one day after missing a nap, I started to understand this better. She was grouch, stopped making smart choices and food was the only thing that relaxed her. This is probably similar for all of us.
If you are on a wellness journey or wondering why you might be gaining weight, look at your sleep habits. Not getting enough sleep may be having more of an impact than you thought. Breaking negative sleep habits takes time, but it can change so much about a wellness journey.
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