How Does Quality Sleep Help with Weight Loss?

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How Does Quality Sleep Help with Weight Loss? The topic of sleep and weight loss is a heated one. Some say that it does not matter how much sleep you get, as long as your diet is good. Others claim that you need to have at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to lose weight successfully. It turns out that both are correct! Lack of sleep also affects cognitive functioning, leading to overeating because it alters the brain's perception of hunger cues. Let's talk about what happens when we do not get adequate or quality sleep towards our weight-loss goals. When we sleep, our body releases hormones that are responsible for the feeling of being hungry or full. This is why you can wake up in the morning and feel ravenous even if you ate a big meal before bedtime. On the other hand, when your brain detects adequate levels of sleepiness due to these "fullness" hormones, it signals you to stop eating by making you feel satisfied with what you have consumed throughout the day. When this does not happen often enough because of lack of proper sleeping hours or poor-quality sleep at night, cortisol production tends to increase, which leads to weight gain and insulin resistance, both very dangerous for those trying to lose weight! Low-quality or less sleep and your weight loss: It gets worse: Lack of sleep can also affect your cognitive functioning. This means that when you do not get enough hours of rest, it alters the brain's perception of hunger and satiety cues, leading to overeating and weight gain! So how much sleep should we be getting to lose weight successfully? Researchers suggest at least seven (or more!) hours per night for adults between 18-64 years old and seven or more hours for those over 65. There is no consensus on children as far as age goes, but most experts recommend 11-13 hours every day; infants need 14-15+ while toddlers 12+. 1. Good news: When you begin to sleep better, it makes weight loss easier as you are less likely to overeat as your brain will be functioning optimally. The best way to achieve this is to develop good sleeping habits. The habits you need to ingrain in yourself can be; - Going to bed and waking up around the same time each day - Staying away from electronics before bedtime (television/phones) - Avoiding caffeine after noontime - Developing a relaxing routine that works for you before hitting those "ready for sleep" sheets. 2. Bad news: Lack of sleep can lead us down a dangerous path towards metabolic dysfunction, which leads not only to obesity but also to type II diabetes. Studies show that getting seven or more hours per night, on average, can lower the risk of obesity by up to 55%, while research also shows that those who consistently sleep


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