Ahead of Word Sleep Day on Friday, a look at how sleep affects weight and what you can do about it.
Poor sleep can have more impact on metabolism and weight management than most people realise.
Chronic poor sleep has contributed to the raise in obesity and diabetes in recent decades. This is likely due to the impact on glucose metabolism (how well your body uses the energy in the food you eat), increased appetite and less energy expenditure. Simply put, tired people eat more and move less.
It is thought that sleep deprivation increases insulin resistance, an early stage of pre-diabetes.
When you are tired, your will power and self-discipline are weakened. You are more likely to make poorer food choices.
This state of tiredness puts low levels of stress on the body, impacting cortisol levels and how well your adrenals can handle everyday stressors such as work or family life. This can have a knock-on effect on your other hormones.
People who work nights or keep unusual hours, often find their body’s own internal clock (circadian rhythm) is out of sync, making restful sleep difficult and weight gain more likely.
Here are 5 really simple ways to help improve your sleep:
1. Keep regular bed and getting up times as much as possible to help set the body clock, even if it’s the weekend or holidays.
2. Take some time to get some natural daylight as early as possible in the day – a short walk, or put your desk by a large window. This regulates cortisol and serotonin levels (the hormones that contribute to sleep and energy).
3. Establish a bedtime, self-care routine – read a book, take a bath, use some magnesium body lotion, write in a journal or use a meditation app such as Calm to relax the body and mind to help you fall asleep.
4. Keep your bedroom dark and cool. When the light is dim, the body starts to release melatonin for sleep.
5. No phones or computers for at least one hour before bedtime. These devices release blue light which is proven to upset the body’s natural circadian rhythm.
These are typical techniques I use with clients, along with supplements and diet changes, to help support their nervous systems, improving their sleep and therefore their metabolisms during the day for more effective weight loss.