How Sleep Can Affect Your Health

Truth be told, we’re all looking for ways to maintain or lose weight. Whilst the vast majority of us look for the perfect diet or exercise routine, we seldom think about how sleep can affect our weight. Over the years, research has proven that sleeping well can be an effective way of losing and maintaining our weight and here’s why:

Sleeping Helps With Controlling Your Appetite

Did you know that there is a strong link between sleep loss and obesity? Sleep deprivation can seriously impact one’s desire for food and can even lead to weight gain and diabetes. Research shows that sleep deprivation can lead to one becoming overweight as well as obese. With a lack of sleep affecting two important hormones (leptin and gherkin), it can end up leaving you hungrier than the next person who got 6-8 hours of sleep.

Sleeping Well Can Affect Your Timetable

A good timetable begins with a good night’s sleep. Those able to sleep and awake early are better able to stick to a productive and manageable timetable. By setting a specific time to sleep, you ensure that you set an internal clock for your body. That way, there’ll be no need to find alternative ways to put yourself to sleep or struggle with the alarm clock in the morning.

Sleeping Earlier Prevents You From Snacking

It’s well known that poor food choices can lead to serious illnesses. If you’re up late at night, there’s a good chance that you’ll be tempted to reach for a snack. I mean we’ve all done it at some point in our lives! The notable American writer and nutritionist told us many years ago that the advice is to “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” That way, your body can burn the food throughout the day and be ready for a good night’s sleep.

Sleeping Impacts Your Metabolism

On average, most people require 6-8 hours of sleep every night. But that doesn’t always happen. If you’re struggling to get that many hours in, you may see yourself reaching out for the ice cream often! A lack of sleep can trigger your body into thinking you need more food for all the hours you’re awake, which is why those who sleep less end up eating more. This can result in a slower metabolism rate which can lead to poor eating habits.

Main Image – Tania Mousinho, Unsplash