Sleeping Is Good For Weight Loss?

 

Sleep And Weight 

Sleep or the so-called body rest cycle, which occurs by activating a group of hormones, which respond to signals from the body and the environment, and often 80% of sleep times appear to be dream-free stages, and it is known as non-rapid eye movement sleep.

The sleep process goes through four stages in the first one the person moves from the awake stage to the stage of sleep, and in the second stage there is a slowing of the heartbeat and a decrease in the respiratory rate, and this stage constitutes 50% of sleep, and this slowdown continues in the third stage, while the fourth enters the stage of non-rapid eye movement.

Although the duration of sleep varies from person to person, most adults need 8 hours of sleep, and it is worth noting that there is a relationship between sleep and weight; Where lack of sleep actually affects a person's weight, and it appears that excess weight is one of the risk factors for suffering from sleep apnea.

Sleep And Metabolism

Sleep acts as nutrition for the human brain, and the question remains: does lack of sleep actually affect weight and reality? Yes; Because lack of sleep affects the metabolism, as lack of sleep leads to a rise in cortisol, the stress hormone responsible for maintaining energy during waking hours.

A study conducted at the University of Chicago indicated that sleep deprivation affects the metabolism; Where a lack of sleep for 4 days affects the body's ability to process insulin, and this ability will inevitably decline.

The hormone insulin is required to convert sugars, starches, and other nutrients into energy, and the researchers noted that the sensitivity of cells to insulin decreased by 30%, and when the body did not respond properly to insulin.

The body has difficulty processing fats in the bloodstream, and therefore fat will accumulate in the body; Therefore, lack of sleep will lead to weight gain. However, there is no relationship between prolonged sleep and weight loss.

Read more about: Weight management

How To Get Better Quality Sleep

Good sleep is no less important than healthy food and exercise, and lack of sleep negatively affects the body, causing many diseases, and to improve the quality of sleep there are a number of steps that include the following:

Exposure to a sufficient amount of sunlight during the day: The human body contains a natural clock called the biological clock, which controls the times a person stays awake or needs to sleep through its influence on the brain and the hormones responsible for this, and exposure to sunlight helps maintain the health of this clock and the circadian rhythm and times Sleep, as well as reduce exposure to light, especially blue light, during the evening.

Stay away from large amounts of caffeine, especially in the evening: Despite the many benefits of caffeine to the body, it stimulates the nervous system, and this prevents sleep naturally.

Stay away from alcoholic beverages.

Avoid taking long naps during the day: Sleeping for a short period during the day helps, but sleeping for a long time or irregularly affects sleep during the night; Because it disrupts the body's internal clock.

Define sleep and wake-up times.

Use of nutritional supplements: including melatonin, which is the main sleep hormone, which tells the brain the body needs to sleep and relax, in addition to supplements containing the herb Ginkgo biloba, which helps with sleep and relaxation and reduce stress, and magnesium supplements.

Read more about: Vitamins and supplements

Avoid eating before bed for a short period.

Tips To Control Weight

Many people struggle to maintain an ideal healthy weight, but it is not difficult; Where some measures are taken to control weight, these measures include the following:

Do muscle building exercises: muscle also has more fat; Therefore, practicing lean muscle building exercises maintains an ideal weight.

Eating foods that cause a feeling of satiety and fullness: including foods rich in fiber; Such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein. 

Read more about: Healthy eating