The Sleep - Weight Loss Relationship
The body functions at its best when it is well rested. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body experiences physiological and hormonal stress, which biochemically causes you to store fat more inefficiently. Sleep deprivation can compromise your immune system, reduce your memory and can actually lead to weight gain. Just one or two nights of missed or not enough sleep, can be enough to make you as insulin resistant as a Type II diabetic. The reason lack of sleep affects our ability to lose weight, has a lot to do with what it does to our hormones.
Melatonin & Prolactin:
In addition to insulin and cortisol, two other important hormones related to sleep and weight gain are melatonin and prolactin. Melatonin, known as the “Hormone of Darkness,” is released at night and tells the body it is time to sleep. Prolactin is critical to our immune systems and is one of our first lines of defense against cancer. Research has shown that longer periods of sleep with melatonin enhances immunity, and also produces higher levels of prolactin. Less sleep at night, leads to an increased production of prolactin during the day, causing autoimmunity and carbohydrate craving.
The biggest problem with a short night sleep is that it causes a reversal of your normal hormone rhythms. You are supposed to wake up with high levels of cortisol in the morning to help you deal with the stresses of the day, and low insulin, so you are hungry. However, with a reversed hormone rhythm, your insulin is high, which causes a decrease in appetite, making it is easier to skip breakfast. This also causes melatonin and prolactin to be too high in the morning and throughout the day, making it harder to concentrate and by the afternoon you are likely to crave carbohydrates and are feeling inpatient.
Leptin & Ghrelin:
Two additional hormones that are affected by sleep deprivation and influence appetite are leptin and ghrelin. Ghrelin is the “Go” hormone that tells you when to eat, and leptin is the “Stop” hormone that tells you when you are full. When you are sleep deprived, you have too much of the grehlin hormone telling you to eat more, and not enough of the leptin hormone telling you are full. This means you are eating more and your metabolism has slowed down, because you are sleep deprived. Increased ghrelin and decreased leptin, causes weight gain. Finally, sleep deprivation can actually lead to unhealthy “comfort food” cravings, which are typically high in carbohydrates, sugars and fats.
The Sleep-Weight Loss Solution:
Sleep is much more than just rest, as it actually recharges your body, controls appetite, supports the immune system, balances hormones and improves your concentration. The good news is that we can take steps to help ensure we are getting adequate sleep. For starters, avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol in the evening. These are all stimulants that can keep you from falling asleep or can keep you in lighter stages of inadequate sleep. Also, avoid eating or drinking large amounts of liquid just before bedtime. Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, can not only help you fall asleep faster, but make your sleep more restful. Others suggestions include, choosing a comfortable mattress and pillow, starting a relaxing bedtime routine, or trying vitamins and supplements to aid in the sleep process.
Red Mountain Med Spa offers a variety of vitamins and supplements options, such as Melatonin or CALM, a natural tea that can help bring relief to stress and insomnia. Stop by one of our locations today, as any of our providers would be happy to discuss which supplements would be best for you.
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