Does getting enough sleep help you lose weight?
In addition to regenerating energy, a good night’s sleep also helps lose weight effectively. Let’s find out if sleep helps you lose weight and some tips to get a good night’s sleep.
Does getting enough sleep help you lose weight?
Sleep is the time for the body to rest and recover after a long day of studying and working.
According to experts, each person should sleep an average of 6-8 hours per night. However, factors such as stress, psycho-social issues, and electronic devices can prevent us from getting enough sleep. This may affect your weight loss plan. Here are some reasons why you still lose weight while sleeping:
Sleep helps burn calories
Studies have confirmed that the body burns calories while sleeping, with an average of 50 calories burned per hour of sleep. Calorie consumption depends on each person’s weight, the greater the weight, the more calories will be burned while sleeping.
The more you sleep, the more calories you burn, which is why you still lose weight when you sleep.
Sleep helps reduce cravings
Getting enough sleep helps the body secrete the hormone Leptin, which plays a role in preventing hunger and signaling a feeling of fullness. Therefore, sleeping 7-8 hours a day helps us reduce cravings for junk food and unhealthy foods such as canned foods and greasy foods. This will help us control our weight better.
On the contrary, staying up late creates the habit of craving snacks and puts you at risk of weight gain. When staying up late, the stomach secretes a lot of Ghrelin, which plays a role in signaling hunger in the brain. This means that the later you stay up, the more likely you are to crave food and gain weight.
Getting enough sleep increases physical activity
Besides burning calories and reducing food consumption, whether sleep helps lose weight depends on physical activity. Normally, after waking up from a deep sleep we will feel full of energy. This helps to perform well physical activities such as walking, cycling, and swimming,… and helps control weight well.
On the contrary, lack of sleep makes the body tired, sluggish, and prone to wanting to rest and being afraid of movement and exercise.
Getting enough sleep helps you adhere better to your diet
The body will regenerate energy better when getting enough sleep. At the same time, the spirit also becomes more cheerful and optimistic. This helps us function efficiently and maintain a better diet.
On the contrary, people who lack sleep tend to be stressed, and tired and have difficulty sticking to their diets.
Habits to sleep and still lose weight
To sleep and still lose weight, maintain some of the following pre-bed habits:
Avoid using electronic devices before bedtime
Electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, televisions, tablets,… are very useful in our work and entertainment. However, overusing them can bring about some worrying health problems.
Blue light from electronic devices can disrupt melatonin production and make it difficult for the body to fall asleep. At the same time, when we wake up we also feel tired and tired. Therefore, you should avoid using electronic devices before going to bed, preferably 2 hours before, and set the screen to night mode.
Keep the sleeping environment at a suitable temperature
According to studies, temperature affects sleep quality and metabolism. Cooler environments can increase metabolic rate and burn brown fat, to keep the body warmer while sleeping.
If you are planning to lose weight, you should keep your bedroom temperature low to create cool air while you sleep and maybe let it cool at night.
Wake up and go to bed at regular times
The hormone melatonin plays a role in signaling that it is time for the body to rest and sleep. However, if you regularly go to bed and wake up at irregular times, the secretion of melatonin will be hindered and your sleep quality will also be poorer.
If this condition persists for a long time, the body will be tired when waking up and tend to eat more. Therefore, to sleep and still lose weight, create a habit of waking up and going to bed at a fixed time.
Do light exercise before going to bed
Doing some gentle, moderate-intensity movements before going to bed will help eliminate stress after a long day. At the same time, the metabolism works better, the body burns more calories.
Drink grape juice before going to bed
Grape juice contains resveratrol – which helps burn calories, eliminate excess fat, and thereby help lose weight effectively. Therefore, you should drink a little grape juice before bed to control your weight more effectively.
Besides diet and physical activity, getting enough sleep is also an effective weight loss measure. A deep sleep will help the body feel refreshed and optimistic after waking up and comply with the weight loss regimen more effectively.
