SLEEPING POORLY IS the root of many of our problems, especially an expanding waistline. Let me explain.
You see, sleep is the foundation on which the pillars of exercise and nutrition are built. Training hard and eating well while sleeping poorly is like having one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. Sleeping better releases the brakes.
Yes but what is poor sleep? Well, it’s defined as six or less hours a night, waking up 5+ times a night, and not being able to make it through a day without needing a medical sized dose of caffeine.
If you tick even one of those boxes then you have poor sleep. And poor sleep leads to unwanted weight gain. Here are the five reasons why:
- Dysregulated appetite hormones: there are two hormones that control how hungry we feel and how full we get. Poor sleep throws these hormones out of whack – this can feel like an insatiable appetite, uncontrollable overeating and intense sugar cravings.
- Down-regulated movement: Our bodies are smart. When we’re tired, in order to save energy, our body down-regulates movement. Less fidgeting, less foot tapping, less subconscious movement. But we need movement for weight loss. Sleeping less reduces our incidental movement and, in the long term, inhibits our weight-loss journey.
- Poor training performance: Bringing intensity to training sessions is a critical part of the weight-loss journey. When tired, our body cannot produce the intensity required for progress. Again, it makes the weight-loss journey harder.
- Increased injury rate: Not only does sleeping lead to sub-par training performance, we’re also at a higher risk of injury. Our body does all of its healing during sleep. If this period of recovery is compromised, inflammation increases and the likelihood of soft-tissue injuries spikes, too. Nothing derails weight loss faster than a tweaked back or torn rotator cuff.
- Low motivation: It’s hard to feel motivated when you’re tired. When we have energy, we feel motivated. When we get poor sleep – the body’s energy levels are low. Low energy means low motivation – everything, like sticking to a diet and showing up for training, feels harder.
Do people lose weight even when they’re not sleeping well? Of course. But the question is for how long and can they sustain that weight loss? On a long enough time scale the answer is always no. Making sleep a priority is part of your obligation as a healthy human.
To optimise your sleep, go to bed and wake up within the same 30-minute window every day. No screens 30 minutes before sleep. Wake up with the sun and consistently get 7-8 hours of sleep.
The time to start securing the sleep your body deserves begins now.
Related:
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