At first glance sleep and diet may not seem connected. You actually burn fewer calories when you sleep because you’re not moving and you’re breathing slowly. In fact, sleeping less seems like it would help you burn more calories. Unfortunately for you night owls, studies show that more sleep helps you lose weight. WebMD article.
What the WebMD article basically says is: your body produces hormones that tell you when you’re hungry and tell you when you’re full. One of the most important hormones is called Leptin. When you don’t get a full nights sleep every night – figure 8 hours – your body doesn’t produce as much Leptin. Why is this a problem? Because when your body doesn’t produce enough leptin you don’t feel as satisfied after you eat – which means that you still feel hungry, which means that you eat more. Crazy, right?
We all know the other part of this story. When you stay up late your body is ready for what Taco Bell labels ’4th Meal’. We all need to eat every 3 – 4 hours. If you had dinner at 6pm, there’s simply no way that you won’t be starving by 2am. If you’re like me you go straight to the freezer and look for a pint of Haagen Daz – or maybe head to a 7-11 to grab a late night snack.
This 4th meal eating replaces what your body should be doing – namely taking a break while sleeping so that you can break down the food you ate during the day. This also gives your body a maintenance period, as you generally don’t process everything you ate during waking hours. When you keep eating your body is forced to put more of the food into fat (storage) so that it can process the new food.
Long story short – do your body and your waistline a favor and get on a regular sleep cycle. This will help you in many ways as sleep is critical for everything from memory and comprehension, to muscle repair and and weight maintenance. Of course getting regular sleep also makes you feel great during the day! One balanced diet that focuses on a healthy lifestyle is called Fat Burning Furnace. We recommend you check it out, as it could help you meet your weight loss goals more easily.
Until next time – stay healthy!
