What Happens to Our Bodies When We Sleep? Why You Lose Weight When You Sleep.
You know the drill: Skip the gym, sleep in, and you'll pay for it later with a puffy face and extra weight. Why You Lose Weight When You Sleep? You've probably heard that one before, but do you know why? It turns out that our bodies work hard when we're catching Zs to help us lose weight.
So what's happening while we snooze? Keep reading to find out, and we'll dispel some common myths about weight loss and sleep in the process.
How Sleep Affects Our Bodies
Think about it: all that time in bed, not eating or drinking, leaves your body plenty of time to heal and repair itself. When you sleep, your brain is hard at work, sorting through the day's events and organizing information. Your body is also busy, cleaning up toxins and repairing cells.
Your liver is especially busy during sleep. It's responsible for detoxifying your blood and clearing out any harmful substances that have built up during the day. When you don't get enough sleep, your liver can't do its job as well, which can lead to weight gain over time.
Sleep and Metabolism
When you sleep, your body goes into a state of healing. This is why you often feel so tired after a long day—your body is working hard to heal and rejuvenate itself. One of the ways it does this is by regulating your metabolism.
During sleep, your body releases two hormones: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is responsible for telling your brain when you're full, and ghrelin is responsible for telling your brain when you're hungry. So when you're asleep, your leptin levels are high and your ghrelin levels are low, which means you're less likely to feel hungry and more likely to burn stored fat.
This is why people often lose weight when they sleep: their body is using stored fat as energy instead of the food they've just eaten.
Sleep Deprivation and Weight Gain
When we sleep, our body goes into a fasting state. That means that your metabolism slows down and your body starts to conserve energy. This is why people who are sleep deprived tend to gain weight—they're not burning as many calories because their body isn't working as hard.
In addition, lack of sleep can also cause you to eat more. There are a few reasons for this: first, when you're tired, you're not as focused and you're more likely to make poor food choices. Second, when you're tired, your body releases more of the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin, which make you feel hungrier than you would normally. And finally, when you're tired, you may not be as active, which also leads to weight gain.
How to Maximize Your Weight Loss Potential With Sleep
If you want to maximize your weight loss potential when it comes to sleep, there are a few things you can do. First, aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night. That will optimize your body’s metabolism and growth hormone levels. Second, try and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—your body will quickly adjust and you’ll wake feeling more refreshed. Third, if you struggle to fall asleep, avoid light from screens before bed (this means no watching Netflix!) as the blue light from screens tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime!
Finally, steer clear of refined sugar late at night as this can disrupt your sleeping patterns and make it harder for you to get the necessary rest. Respect your body’s circadian rhythm by sticking to regular hours and taking plenty of time out for rest and relaxation. Your body will great-full too you in the morning!
What you can Do if You Can’t Sleep Well
If you're having trouble sleeping, don't worry; there are some things that you can do to help you get your rest. The first thing is to create a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. This will help regulate your body's internal clock and help you fall asleep more easily.
Avoiding caffeine six hours before bedtime and limiting alcohol intake can also help with sleep. If possible, try to limit stimulus from screens two hours before going to sleep. This includes laptops, television screens, and cell phones. Doing light stretching or yoga movements can also help relax the body before bedtime.
Finally, if your problems persist, don't hesitate to reach out for professional advice or help from a mental health expert in helping with any underlying issues that might be keeping you from getting quality rest.
So while you may lose some water weight while you sleep, and some of that may be regained when you drink fluids before bed, there is a good chance that you'll continue to lose weight while you snooze — even if you don't change anything else about your diet or lifestyle.
There's still more research to be done on this issue, but the current evidence suggests that getting enough quality sleep is an important piece of the weight loss puzzle. If you're having trouble shedding pounds, consider hitting the hay for a solid eight hours a night. You may be pleasantly surprised by seeing the results.
