Sleep Better; Weigh Less; Prevent Weight Gain

Tired of Feeling so Tired?

It’s National Sleep Awareness Week which brings me to a confession: I have been getting too little sleep and gaining weight because of it. Curses Netflix and your plethora of good British shows! And now I want to watch Blazing Saddles again with Madeline Kahn.

As a fitness professional and certified Functional Aging Specialist, I know that more sleep leads to a healthier weight, fresher skin, more creativity, better memory, and less snapping at my husband. Ooops. (Click here to read how to Sleep Your Way to A Better Brain and Body).  But the siren call to finish just a wee bit more work, answer one more email, and load the dishwasher before settling in for some late night entertainment gets me every time.

Weight Gain from too Little Sleep

An extra hour of sleep each night can help you drop 14 pounds per year
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What about you? How are your sleep habits? Did you know that an extra hour of sleep each night can help you drop 14 pounds per year, according to researcher Dr. Michael Sivak. Part of that is the 200 -2,000 fewer calories you’ll take in during that hour you’re now asleep, and part of that is the relationship between the hormones leptin and ghrelin. Those two appetite regulating hormones are taunting rascals. Being awake too long can throw them into flux, stimulating your appetite and inhibiting your ability to make good food choices. More than 35 percent of American adults are obese; more than 28 percent sleep less than six hours a night, and the authors of a 15-year study found these two to be correlated.

In our post about the 3 stealth saboteurs of weight loss, we mentioned how less than 6 hours of sleep can be correlated with weight gain. In the 1970s, U.S. adults averaged 7+ hours per night. We are now down to the low 6s. When we sleep too little (6 hours or fewer) we:

• are awake longer and often therefore snacking more
• create an imbalance of appetite-regulating hormones, with the hormone that stimulates hunger pangs taking over
• are possibly dealing with sleep apnea, which shows a correlation between weight gain and lost, interrupted, or insufficient sleep. The cause and effect are still in question.

Less than 6 hours of sleep can be correlated with weight gain. Try for 8-9 hrs per night
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Weight Loss from Enough Sleep

A review of 15 years of research indicates an effect of partial sleep deprivation on body weight management. Partial sleep deprivation, an energy imbalance, and weight gain prevention and weight loss promotion are all linked.

What to Do to Snoozzzzzzze and Lose?

Sleep at least seven hours per night, preferably eight. More than eight is not necessarily better though, so don’t feel compelled to snooze nine or ten hours. (Unless you’re a teen reading this midlife blog, then 9-10 hours might be a cutback).
Also take a look at the suggestions in this infographic courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation.

I will be implementing their tips this coming week.  And shutting down Netflix by 10:30pm. Want to sleep better with me for the next 7 days? You know what I mean….

by Kymberly Williams-Evans, MA