On January 1st, many people wake up after a deep sleep and set new year resolution. And one of the most common resolutions is to lose weight. But did you know that sleeping habits actually have a huge impact on your weight?
First, let’s discuss the ideal amount of sleep to help lose weight. Over 50 large population studies have indicated a correlation between less than 6 hours of sleep per night and weight gain. Furthermore, these studies also indicated that sleeping more than 9 hours per night can also increase weight gain. Therefore, 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night is the ideal amount of time to sleep in order to lose weight.
Secondly, we’ll talk about how the hormones leptin. Leptin is involved with appetite control. This hormone is produced in fat cells and makes our stomachs feel full. Studies have shown that leptin levels rise when we’re asleep and they fall when we’re deprived of sleep. This can cause us to wakeup hungry. A study by the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort showed that 5 hours of sleep vs 8 caused a near 16% reduction in leptin levels. The conclusion being that poor sleep can cause you to eat more and gain weight due to the lack of leptin in your system.
Next, we’ll discuss the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin is produced in the small intestine and stomach. This hormone causes us to feel hungry. It also slows our absorption of food, meaning we retain more calories. Studies have shown that ghrelin levels increase when we’re deprived of sleep. This can cause us to gain more weight.
To learn more about Sleep Science, check out the Science of Sleep section on our website. Or come visit a Certified Sleep Science coach at our mattress store in Georgetown, TX!