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Sleep More, Weigh Less  

September can be a month of big schedule changes.  Perhaps you are a student or you have kids you need to get off to school or work is more demanding right now, whatever your personal story, lack of a good night's sleep can easily sabotage your weight loss.  Getting less than the recommended 7-8 hours each night has a physiological effect that causes us to eat more and not just any food--we reach for the calorie-dense carbohydrates.

It sounds too good to be true doesn't it?  Sleep more, weigh less, though it's correct.  When your body is sleep deprived, it produces more of the hormone, ghrelin.  Its function is to tell the body it's hungry.  Your body also produces less of leptin.  This tells your body when you've eaten enough.  Have you ever noticed on days you are fatigued, meals are less satisfying?  This hormonal imbalance can mean consuming 300 or more calories a day than when you're rested.  Take note the next time you are sleep deprived and what you're craving.   

According to research done at the University of Chicago in 2004, '"We don't yet know why food choice would shift," (Eve) Van Cauter (Ph.D., professor of medicine at the University of Chicago) said. "Since the brain is fueled by glucose, we suspect it seeks simple carbohydrates when distressed by lack of sleep." At the same time, the added difficulty of making decisions while sleepy may weaken the motivation to select more nutritious foods, making it harder to push away the doughnuts in favor of a low-fat yoghurt.'  By 2011, new studies found less activity in the brain's prefrontal cortex, the area believed to be responsible for big decisions. 

Another link to starchy cravings has to do with stress.  Your adrenal glands secrete more adrenaline and cortisol when you are stressed and those can ruin your sleep cycle.  According to AdrenalFatigue.org, "Cortisol plays an important role in maintaining blood sugar (glucose) levels around the clock. Although blood glucose is normally low by the early morning hours, during adrenal fatigue cortisol levels may not stay sufficient to adequately sustain blood glucose."   Should your sleeplessness go on long enough, you may experience adrenal fatigue and if your body cannot regulate its glucose levels, it will desire the quick fuel it gets from carbs. 

Doctors are also finding a link between poor sleep and diabetes.  Fat cells react in a way similar to insulin resistance.   As you already know, your body runs on glucose and "in insulin resistance, cells fail to use the hormone efficiently, resulting in high blood sugar," states WeMD's article, The Sleep-Diabetes Connection.  The best thing to do when you aren't feeling rested and want to eat the donuts your co-worker brought in, is to be mindful and make the decision to eat something healthier, like an apple with a little peanut butter.  Knowing what is happening to your body can make a big impact on how you handle it.   

If you suffer from a lack of sleep, it is best to rule out any medical causes such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, or any other aliment.  Try to stay on a nightly schedule, one that encourages relaxation.  This means no work, homework, or other stressful task is done in your bed--keep your bedroom a work-free zone.  Don't consume caffeine in the afternoon, as it will disrupt your sleep pattern and/or make it harder to fall asleep at a reasonable time.  Also, stress relieving stretches done before bed, such as those in our Trainer's Challenge video (see right-hand column), can relax the body and mind for better rest.   It isn't easy getting a full 7-8 hours of sleep, though try to get them as often as possible to stabilize your hormones.  For more tips, check out this WebMD article.  

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