What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? Most commonly, an alcohol binge – yes? Did you know that it also applies to weight loss? Yes I know….hard to believe.
What does sleep have to do with weight loss?
According to a small study conducted at the University of Chicago, sleep is a key component in fat loss and can undermine other efforts to lose weight. What was learned from this study is that without enough sleep the body produces more of the hormone ghrelin. This hormone stimulates hunger and promotes fat retention. Those who got 8.5 hours of sleep lost 3.1lbs of fat compared to those who only got 5.5 hours of sleep and lost 1.3lbs.
The standard, recommended amount of sleep for the average person is 7 hours of restful sleep per night for optimal recovery and repair to hormones. But good sleep isn’t just for hormones. Sleep deprivation is also associated with high insulin levels (this is addressed in the article on Diabetes Dangers).
For many individuals, the hectic pace of a Western lifestyle, lack of exercise and poor eating habits can lead to sub-optimal health. Often, these same individuals do not receive enough sleep at night. The vast majority of health care providers now recommend that individuals receive 7 hours of sleep. This lack of sleep has been shown in studies to be a major cause of elevation of stress (cortisol) and appetite (ghrelin) hormones, which is thought to lead to a further progression of poor sleep and eating habits.
These poor habits are part of the factors that determine not only weight gain but also cardiovascular fitness, mental alertness, immune health and other important indicators of optimal health and well-being (see specific articles on Heart Disease, Memory, Immunity).
On his first show of the year, Dr. Oz said when it comes to health, what people don’t care enough about is SLEEP. We are all so focused on what we do in our waking hours, we brag about how little sleep we get. According to Dr. Oz on not getting enough sleep “It’s correlated with illness; leads to hypertension, early death, accidents, lots of problems if you’re not sleeping well. The inability to sleep is also a reflection that your inner harmony is not there.”
So you are beginning to understand why a good “beauty sleep” is essential to healthy lives.
Cutting back on sleep may sometimes seem like the only answer to our busy lives. How else are you going to get through your never ending to-do list or make time for a little fun? Seven hours sounds great, but who can afford to spend that much time sleeping? The truth is you can’t afford not to. What you will find, is that with enough sleep, your energy and efficiency level will go up and you will actually get more done!
