Sleep Your Way to Better Health

How Much Should You Sleep?

For adults, the recommendation for sleep is a minimum of 7 hours nightly for optimal health. Unfortunately, inadequate sleep is a prevalent problem today. A large proportion of the population is not getting enough sleep, with ⅓ of adults reporting less than 7 hours, and 40% report feeling not well rested on most days. In contrast, Americans averaged nearly 8 hours of sleep in the 1940s. This decline in sleep time correlates to an increase in chronic diseases like obesity. Shortened sleep duration increases calorie intake, negatively impacts our food choices, and tells our bodies to hold onto fat.

How Sleep Affects Your Calorie Intake

Sleep has a critical impact on regulating energy balance. The risk of developing obesity increases as sleep time decreases; even a one-hour reduction in sleep duration causes weight gain. In one study, sleep restriction by 3-4 hours nightly for five nights resulted in 300 calories more consumed. In a meta-analysis, insufficient sleep was demonstrated to increase food intake from 200-450 calories per day. In another study, people who slept only 4-5 hours a night gained an average of a pound over two weeks.

Not Sleeping Changes Your Hormones

Sleep regulates our satiety hormones, and inadequate sleep impairs their normal function. Sleep restriction in young, healthy men showed increased appetite, increased ghrelin (the hunger hormone), and reduced leptin (the satiety hormone.) Low sleep leads to cravings for simple carbohydrates and calorie-dense foods, such as junk foods. In addition, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), another satiety hormone, is reduced in women who get poor-quality sleep. The drop in GLP-1 is most notable in the afternoon. If you have a terrible night of sleep, you may notice increased 3 PM snacking.

Unlock the power of sleep.

The Science Behind How Rest Impacts Your Weight and Eating Habits

Tired Brains Make Worse Choices

Lack of sleep can also impact hedonic eating, which describes pleasure-seeking in food. Daytime sleepiness correlates to reduced ability to control emotions and difficulty making good food choices, leading to greater sensitivity to food reward. You will reach for a donut rather than your usual fruit salad snack. Well-rested individuals make better lifestyle choices, including selecting healthier meals and exercising. Interestingly, even willingness to pay for food is higher during sleep deprivation.

What About Sleeping in on the Weekends?

Consistency is also vital. You cannot pay back sleep debt. People who are sleep-deprived overeat even after many nights of high-quality sleep on the days following low sleep. Variable sleeping patterns (an average of 7 hours but with swings below 7 hours) also lead to overeating.

Sleep Deprivation Can Sabotage Your Success

Sleep also affects our body composition. In a study using a Mediterranean diet for weight loss, participants with short sleep had lower weight loss and less success than their well-rested counterparts. A study from 2010 showed that sleep deprivation hinders weight loss even with calorie restriction. The participants were placed in controlled feeding conditions and divided into two groups: adequate and short sleep. Both groups lost the same amount of weight. But critically, the short sleep group lost more muscle, ligament, and organ tissue instead of fat than those with good quality sleep. Their metabolic rate also went down compared to the well-rested group. What was not studied but is well documented is that reduced muscle mass results in reduced resting metabolic rate. This drop in RMR will lead to weight regain, so overall, people who don't sleep but get on a weight loss plan will likely end up exchanging muscle for fat, worsening their health.

Getting Enough Sleep Will Help You Lose Weight

Increasing sleep time in people who usually don't get enough sleep leads to weight loss and improved metabolic health. By MRI, women who went six weeks with adequate sustained sleep had a reduction in their body volume and body fat compared to women who had variable bedtime. Patients who slept an extra 1.2 hours a night consumed 270 calories per day less on average, with a weight loss of 0.5 kg over two weeks. Those who had extended their sleep the most had the most significant weight improvement and reduced calorie consumption.

In conclusion, sleep is crucial to our health and well-being. By prioritizing sleep and making a conscious effort to get to be bed early, we can improve our overall well-being, reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases like obesity, and make healthier food choices. It's time to take control of our sleep habits and ensure we get enough sleep every night because well-rested brains make better decisions.