Weight Loss

Sleep Longer to Lose Weight

Scientists now believe if you sleep longer, it's easier to lose weight and keep it off — and if you sleep less, the opposite might be true.

StudyPages

Mar 10, 2022 • 3 min read

Ask nearly anyone how to lose weight, and they'll probably give you the same answer — eat right and exercise.

They have a point. You shed pounds by burning more calories than you ingest. That means controlling your food intake and cutting down on empty calories without depriving yourself of nutrients. It also means maintaining an active lifestyle with enough moderate-to-intense exercise.

But be warned. "Get plenty of exercise" doesn't translate to "push yourself until you drop." Scientists now believe if you sleep longer, it's easier to lose weight and keep it off — and if you sleep less, the opposite might be true.

Can a Lack of Sleep Build Fat?

A study published in Obesity Research & Clinical Practice has shown that adults who get less than seven hours of sleep a night are 41% more likely to become obese. Short sleepers are also more likely to have bigger waistlines, which translates to higher concentrations of abdominal fat.

Abdominal fat is a particularly dangerous kind of fat. It crowds your vital organs and increases your risk of multiple health conditions. Heart disease and diabetes are just two examples.

Sleep to Control Your Appetite

Sleep may also affect weight because of hunger mechanisms in the brain. Throughout the day, our brains release many kinds of neurotransmitters, including some that tell us when to feel hungry.

The two appetite-related neurotransmitters are called ghrelin and leptin. Higher levels of ghrelin make you feel hungry. More leptin makes you feel full.

In 2004, scientists studied the effects of sleep deprivation on ghrelin and leptin levels in young men. They found those who slept too little had more ghrelin and less leptin in their bodies, leading them to feel hungrier.

Sleep to Eat Better

Many studies have associated sleep duration with overall eating habits. People who sleep less are prone to less-healthy eating patterns. They eat more high-calorie foods outside of mealtime and consume more energy from carbohydrates like sugar. Excess sugar consumption is associated with weight gain.

Part of the reason these unhealthy habits develop is an increase in time awake. Sleeping less often means more time between dinner and bedtime, which translates to more late-night eating, often of higher-calorie foods.

Cutting down on your nighttime wakefulness may reduce your cravings for sweets and other carb-heavy foods at night.

How Sleep Affects Your Metabolism

Some scientists also believe that sleep affects metabolism — how your body burns calories and processes nutrients. Poor sleep can disrupt your body's natural metabolic cycle. This can increase your risk of obesity and make it more difficult for your body to process sugar.

There is also a documented connection between the late-night eating that comes with less sleep and less effective fat burning. As a result, some suggest pushing your bedtime closer to dinnertime. One research group found leaving six hours between dinner and the midpoint of your sleep may be ideal for a well-functioning metabolism.

In contrast, getting enough sleep may actually help your body burn more fat. A 2010 study found that sleep-deprived people are less able to convert fat into energy — a crucial process that drives weight loss from exercise.

How Sleep Affects Your Workout

One 2013 study found a direct link between sleep time and the length of exercise the next day.

Part of the reason may be the energy you get from sleeping. Even a 1.5-hour reduction in sleep can make you feel less alert and more tired.

Energy loss from a lack of sleep is particularly noticeable during intense workouts. Researchers from the U.K. found that sleep deprivation made study participants perform worse on endurance tests.

For the participants, running when sleep-deprived felt like it took more energy. Scientists believe this feeling of exercise being "harder" is why sleep-deprived people work out less, while those who go to bed earlier find it easier to do more exercise.

Help Yourself Sleep Longer to Lose Weight

Today's hustle culture makes it hard for sleep to seem valuable. People assume if they're sleeping, they're not being productive.

But as you've seen, that's not true at all. Sleeping more can help your body stay healthier in many ways, including helping you maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise and healthy eating still matter, of course. But if you're serious about slimming down, consider adding an hour or two of sleep to your weight loss plan. Interested in more research about how to make your body be well? Follow StudyPages to learn how you can make an impact toward a healthier future for all.