Effective Ways Sleep Can Help In Weight Loss

It is believed that achieving a healthy weight always revolves around diet and exercise. But did you know that sleep is another important factor that has a major impact on your weight loss plan? Yes, that’s right! Sleep has been linked to weight loss and several studies have proved that.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommended that adults aged 18-60 years should get at least seven hours of sleep. But, there are many people who don’t get enough sleep at night and this hampers your weight loss plan.

As per a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, sleeping for 8.5 hours or 5.5 hours at night along with moderate calorie intake through foods can significantly help in weight loss [1]. Read on to know the ways sleep can help in weight loss.

1. Burns calories

Sleeping for at least seven to eight hours can help your body burn a lot of calories and it totally depends on your body weight. The amount of calories burned increases according to how much you weigh. Also, the more body mass you have, the more calories you will burn while sleeping and resting.

2. Allows healthier food choices

If you are deprived of sleep, it may be difficult for you to make healthier food choices and increases the craving for unhealthy food. This means that getting enough amount of sleep at night will help you follow a healthy, balanced diet, which helps in faster weight loss.

3. Keeps you stomach full for long

Getting a good night’s sleep will aid in fighting the urge for fast food and also will help in balancing the hunger hormones. A good sleep increases the leptin hormone, which is responsible for reducing appetite and making you feel full for longer.

4. Increases physical activity

After a good night’s sleep, you will wake up feeling refreshed and energized to carry on with your physical activity such as walking, running, swimming, etc. If you are sleep deprived, you will lessen down your physical activity and opt for a sedentary lifestyle, which will not help in losing weight.

5. Lowers unhealthy food cravings

A good sleep will help prevent food cravings at midnight and this can help in achieving your weight loss goal. Usually, when you are sleep deprived the body craves for unhealthy foods and this can cause weight gain.