While we’re all aware that not getting enough sleep can lower our productivity levels, affect our ability to concentrate, and make us just plain cranky, not everyone realizes it can also have a negative impact on our weight. As Svelte Medical Weight Loss helps people achieve weight loss in Orlando, we always emphasize the importance of getting the proper amount of sleep on a regular basis.
Below are three ways sleep can affect your weight, derailing your weight loss efforts. Once you realize how important sleep is for weight loss and for maintaining an ongoing healthy weight, you’ll be more motivated to get to bed at a reasonable hour.
- You Consume More – When you aren’t sleeping enough, your drive to eat increases as your body is trying to compensate for the extra hours it has been awake.
- You Have Less Control – Lack of sleep results in lower cognitive functioning. This means you’ll have less control and discipline regarding your impulses and goal-oriented behaviors. Decreased cognitive control has been linked to an increase in mindless eating, particularly of foods that are high in fat.
- Increased Stress and Negativity – Sleep deprivation also causes people to experience greater amounts of emotional stress and feelings of negativity. Extra stress and negative feelings contribute to the consumption of foods that are associated with pleasure and reward, such as high-carb and high-fat foods – basically foods that will work against any efforts to lose weight.
Quality and Quantity
Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. But, in addition to getting the right amount of sleep, it also needs to be good quality. That’s easier said than done for most of us, so here are a few simple tips to help increase both the quantity and quality of sleep you’re getting:
- Avoid large meals prior to bed.
- Create and stick with a consistent schedule for getting to bed and waking up.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine before bed.
- Forego any screen time, whether via TV, phone, or the computer, an hour before bed.
Being in a peaceful environment and allowing your body to naturally unwind every evening will greatly contribute to a good night’s sleep and help you meet your weight loss goals.
Contact Svelte Weight Loss Center today to learn more about how you can achieve weight loss in Orlando, and maintain that healthy weight.