Sleep quality and weight loss: what is the relationship between the two?

Have you ever stopped to think if there is a relationship between the quality of your sleep and weight loss? 

Who likes to sleep? We've been hearing about the countless benefits of sleeping well for some time now.

After all, everyone knows that it is recommended to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night.

But we know very well that, with the rush of our daily lives – whether it’s work, study or both – this is a milestone that many of us are unable to reach.

But what if we told you that a good sleep routine can help you shed those extra pounds? Would you make a greater effort to get the amount of sleep recommended by experts?

It may seem silly, but there is a direct relationship between the quality of sleep and weight loss. And that is exactly what we are going to talk about in today's content!

In this material, you will better understand how this relationship works between two themes that, at first glance, do not seem to have any kind of relationship.

First of all, let's explore a little more what we understand by quality of sleep and weight loss. 

Before we get to the main point of our text, it is interesting to understand a little more about what constitutes weight loss itself.

When we hear this word, the first things that come to mind are a balanced diet and physical exercise, right?

After all, these are the pillars of any weight loss process, right? We always learned that, by aligning these two points, weight loss was just a matter of time.

But in fact there are many aspects that are also part of a weight loss process but that are hardly talked about.

While our focus is directly on diet and exercise, we may end up not paying as much attention to other aspects that also have their due importance during this weight loss journey.

We are talking not only about the quantity of hours of sleep, but also about the quality of those hours.

And as you will see throughout the text, this weight loss goes far beyond what we think.

What is the relationship between sleep quality and weight loss?

You may have heard that the weight loss process is related to the quality of our sleep, right?

For years this relationship has been the subject of research and studies around the world.

And it is thanks to these studies that we were able to better understand the relationship between sleep quality and weight loss.

In general, the relationship between sleep quality and weight loss is due to hormones.

Initially, it was possible to observe that poorly slept nights contribute to an increase in the individual's appetite.

This happens because, after sleepless nights, our metabolism begins to undergo changes.

For comparison purposes, it is estimated that two nights of poor sleep are enough to alter someone's metabolism.

And that a person who sleeps poorly can end up eating up to 20% more than they would if they had slept well.

This happens because, during sleep, hormones responsible for 'regulating' our metabolism are usually released.

Two of these hormones are ghrelin and leptin. While ghrelin is one of the hormones responsible for our hunger, leptin is responsible for our satiety.

And when both are out of balance after a bad night's sleep, we tend to eat more.

So if you are one of those people who sleeps only a few hours a night and thinks everything is fine, maybe you should rethink your habits!

Tips that will help you align sleep quality and weight loss 

If you – like millions of other Brazilians – have an irregular sleep pattern and haven't been sleeping as much as you should, we've put together some essential tips that will help you improve the quality of your sleep and, consequently, your weight loss.

Leave all electronic devices aside

The biggest enemies of a good night's sleep are electronic devices.

So that you can sleep better and without interruptions, the ideal is to leave all electronic devices – TV, computer, notebook, tablet and even cell phone – aside at least 1 hour before going to bed.

The light emitted by these devices can seriously disrupt the quality of your sleep if you are one of those people who uses their cell phone until the last few seconds before falling asleep.

When sleeping, choose a completely dark environment. 

Another point that helps a lot for those looking for better quality nights of sleep is to choose completely dark environments without the presence of light sources, such as open windows or even lights from other environments.

In total darkness, it is easier to achieve deep relaxation, as darkness stimulates our body to release melatonin.

Physical exercise hours before bed and a good diet also help 

Of the tips here, this is perhaps the tip that most directly links quality of sleep and weight loss.

Many people report that exercising a few hours before bed helps improve their sleep. 

In this case, it is recommended that these exercises are not extremely strenuous and that they are performed up to 3 hours before going to bed.

And regarding food, that classic tip: opt for lighter foods and avoid 'heavier' or very fatty dishes. 

And alcoholic beverages and coffee should also be avoided.

Conclusion 

As you can see, sleeping well is extremely necessary and should be one of our priorities.

And even though our daily routine is increasingly busy and full of commitments, it is extremely important that we know how to pay due attention to the quality of our sleep.

After all, in addition to being directly linked to our physical health, having restful and quality nights of sleep also helps our physical health – and our weight loss, as we have seen – and our mental health, providing and promoting a better quality of life and well-being for our days.

And that makes all the difference!

Did you like this material? Then maybe you will also like to read Melatonin: when can the sleep hormone be used?