Lose Weight In Your Sleep

Lose Weight In Your Sleep

Do you feel that you need to lose weight? Well then don’t
just count calories. You might want to count sheep as well.

Recent studies have shown that sleep deprivation disrupts a
series of metabolism and hormonal processes. It causes
increased hunger and affects the body’s metabolism making it
difficult to lose and control weight.

Lack of sleep causes a hormone called cortisol, which
controls the appetite, to take excess calories and store
them as excess body fat. In addition, sleep loss interferes
with carbohydrate metabolism which may cause high blood
glucose levels. The excess amount of glucose encourages the
overproduction of insulin, which may lead to diabetes or
even obesity.

Furthermore, sleep deprivation can promote weight gain by
affecting our behavior. People who lack sleep tended to
crave sweets or high carbohydrate, high fat food with low
nutrient value. They tend to snack on chips, cakes,
pastries, burgers, fries, soft drinks, etc. Though the
short-term rise in blood sugar, brought on by these snacks,
gives a surge of energy, the extra calories are not needed
by the body and must be stored as body fat.

These calories are not so easily shed than taken. When they
are sleep deprived, people are often too tired to exercise
or they work out less intensely than usual. They commonly
feel exhausted and lack the energy and motivation to do even
simple exercises. They rather go to sleep, or eat, than go
physical. In due time, the calories that are gained and not
easily burned are deposited in the body as fat.

Some people may require less hours of sleep to be in top
condition during the day; while others need more than 10
hours. But experts agree that most people need at least
eight hours of sleep each night to give themselves enough
energy to exercise, eat right and keep off those unwanted
pounds. Yet, according to a poll sponsored by the National
Sleep Foundation, only 30 percent of adults get eight or
more hours of sleep on weeknights; while 52 percent do on
weekends. A third of adults reportedly sleep no more than
six-and-a-half hours nightly.

In fact, disruption in the sleeping patterns in the United
States and in the industrialized world is thought as one of
the main reasons that people are getting overweight. People
should start making behavioral and lifestyle changes now for
a better, healthier tomorrow.