The Surprising Connection Between Weight And Your Sleep Cycle
How many hours of sleep are essential every night? Most experts would say anything between five seven hours is absolutely essential for most adults. And yet, quite often many of us tend to skimp on these essential hours or overdo them.
Cravings For Energy Foods
Playing around with your sleep schedule may not seem like such a bad thing, but It isn’t great news for your body. Studies have shown that less than five hours or more than nine hours of sleep could lead to distinct weight gain.
There are multiple reasons for this – when you are running low on sleep, your body tends to experience craving for energy giving foods such as sugar. You end up eating more than is necessary and this leads to weight gain. Alternatively, your body releases certain hormones which affect your metabolic rate.
Hormones Affected With Less Sleep
The hormones ghrelin and leptin regulate hunger and feeling of satiety. When you are not getting sufficient sleep, these hormones are affected and your body experiences a stimulated appetite. Due to this, those getting lesser sleep tend to reach for unhealthy foods that will satisfy their cravings immediately.
Good Sleep Equals To Good Health
Multiple studies were conducted to study this pattern. By researching people’s sleep and diet habits, it was found that recurrent sleep deprivation in both men and women led to a drastic increase in calorie in take.
Getting sufficient sleep on the other hand can do wonders for your health and weight. When you have more energy after a good night’s rest, your body is able to burn more calories as it experiences a healthy metabolic rate and this in turn boosts fat loss.
Adequate Sleep Keeps The Pounds Off
Sleeping peacefully through the night also keeps your brain alert and your hormone levels in balance, thus keeping away the desire for cravings and increasing one’s ability to stick to healthier choices. So, make sure to get between five-eight hours of sleep every night along with maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine to keep the pounds oft the weighing scale.