The recommended sleep cycle is of 8-hours of comfortable sleep, but nearly two-thirds of Americans are unable to get it.
Sleep deprivation might be cool if you’re a teenager but on a long-term basis, it has serious adverse effects on your health.
Not only does it affect your weight adversely, but also makes you prone to heart disease, slow metabolism, depression, stroke, and diabetes.
Keep reading to learn a few tips on how to sleep better plus 6 interesting facts you may not have known about sleep!
What Happens When You Are Sleep Deprived?
Whatever the “real” cause of not getting enough sleep is, consider the fact of how it’s affecting your weight.
When you don’t get adequate sleep, it affects the production of two hormones that regulate the metabolism and hunger levels: leptin and ghrelin.
1. You May Feel More Hungry
Leptin is associated with hunger suppression while ghrelin stimulates appetite.
If you’re not sleeping well, your body will start to produce lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin.
So essentially, what’s happening is that you’re feeling hungry all the time and you don’t feel full.
2. You’ll Have Less Will Power
Lack of sleep and exhaustion also means that you don’t have the necessary willpower required to make the right decisions.
To curb your appetite, you’re likely to consume fatty foods, grab a takeout, skip the gym, and before you know it, you’ve gained significant weight.
Not getting enough sleep makes you unable to make decisions and control your impulses because it directly affects the functioning of the brain’s frontal lobe, the part that pertains to controlling both things.
3. You Might Seek Out Comfort Food
The brain’s reward center also sparks up when you’re overtired and it starts to look for things that feel good.
In such a circumstance, it will be too hard for you to control your food cravings, thus gaining weight if you remain sleep-deprived continuously.
One study reported that sleep deprivation led to an increase in late-night snacking and intake of high-carb snacks.
In another study, it was found that people who got fewer hours of sleep ate bigger food portions.
Related: 9 Ways To Lose Weight Fast
6 Tips To Help You Sleep Better So You Don’t Gain Weight
In order to stay healthy and fit, make sure you are getting enough sleep at night, preferably between 7 and 8 hours.
Most people get 6 hours of sleep, which isn’t adequate to remain alert during the day.
To improve your sleep, consider the following tips:
- Turn off all electronics in the room and by your side, namely your computer, TV, and cell phone at least an hour before sleeping
- Relax before hitting the sack and clear your mind of all thoughts.
- Develop a healthy sleep routine by going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time each day.
- Avoid eating heavy meals and alcohol before sleep time.
- Don’t have tea, coffee, chocolate, or soda just before going to sleep.
- Make sure there are no disturbing lights in the room.
Natural Remedies For Sleep
There are many different sleep remedies on the market and here are a few we’ve used with success. We usually rotate what we use every few weeks.
- GABA (read the reviews and buy it on Amazon)
- Melatonin (read reviews and buy it on Amazon)
- Isagenix Sleep Spray – a combination of L-theanine, tart cherry juice, melatonin, lemon balm leaf extract, chamomile flower extract, and valerian root extract. (get it here at Isagenix)
- Use Essential Oils – you can diffuse an oil like lavender which is known to help you relax or try a premade oil blend like Sleepy by Simply Earth. You could even make up your own sleep spray for your pillow like this recipe below. (more essential oil recipes for fabric here)
Have you been able to solve your sleep issues naturally?
You Might Also Like:
How To Optimize Your Diet So You Sleep Better
5 Essential Oils That Will Help You Destress And Calm Anxiety
Lose Weight While You Sleep With The Night-Time Belly Buster
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/lack-of-sleep-weight-gain
http://yoohealth.com/sleep-deprivation-causes-symptoms-and-treatment/