If you can’t figure out why you’ve been gaining weight lately or just can’t lose those last unwanted pounds, it may be time to take a look at your sleep hygiene.
While you may be thinking you aren’t sleep deprived, the reality is sleep deprivation simply means not getting enough quality snooze to meet your body’s needs and/or collecting 6 hours of sleep or less each night. Being in this state makes it easy for your body to crave unhealthy foods more often and not know when to stop.
Poor sleep increases your risk of obesity by causing your body to produce less of the hormone leptin, which lets you know when you are full, and more ghrehlin, the hormone that boosts your appetite. Without efficient shut-eye, your weight is also affected in a subtle way. As your energy is reduced, you’ll move less throughout the day even though you’ve increased your calorie intake.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults sleep 7-9 hours each night for optimal health, happiness, productivity and to help maintain a healthy waistline.
Take look at this easy-to-read infographic shared by Sleep Junkies to gain better insight about the link between sleep and your weight:
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