It’s a vicious cycle. Carrying extra weight can affect the quality of your sleep and if you’re getting less sleep, it’ll make it harder to lose weight.
Tiredness diminishes your energy levels, prompting a natural inclination to seek energy replenishment from food sources. As well as this, a lack of energy means you'll be less inclined to fit exercise and movement into your day.
The combination of factors hinders your progress when it comes to hitting your weight loss targets.1
Disrupted hormones
Sleep deprivation disrupts the balance of hormones that control hunger, increasing levels of ghrelin (which stimulates appetite) and decreasing leptin (which signals fullness). This hormonal imbalance can lead to overeating and weight gain.¹
Increased cravings
Lack of sleep can heighten cravings for high-calorie, sugary foods, as your body seeks quick sources of energy to combat tiredness.¹
Reduced metabolism
Inadequate sleep can slow down your metabolism, making it harder to burn calories efficiently. Over time, this can contribute to weight gain.¹
Increased fat storage
Poor sleep can increase insulin resistance, leading to higher blood sugar levels and prompting your body to store more fat.¹
Altered appetite regulation
Sleep deprivation can interfere with your body’s ability to regulate appetite, causing you to feel hungrier throughout the day, even if you’ve eaten enough.¹
Reduced physical activity
When you're tired, you’re less likely to engage in physical activity, reducing the number of calories you burn and making weight gain more likely.
Follow these simple tips for an instantly better night's sleep.
Reduce caffeine intake
Research indicates that caffeine can remain in your system for 2-10 hours, potentially affecting your sleep. To ensure a restful night, consider avoiding caffeine consumption after midday.3
Minimise device exposure
Avoid using your mobile phone or other devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Reducing device use can improve sleep quality, help you fall asleep faster, and reduce pre-sleep arousal.4
Dim the lights
Reducing exposure to bright lights before bedtime can help your body produce melatonin, the hormone that signals it’s time to sleep. Dim the lights in the evening to support natural sleep rhythms and improve sleep quality.5
Avoid late evening meals
Eating within three hours of bedtime has been associated with an increased likelihood of waking up during the night. To support better sleep, try to finish your meals earlier in the evening.6
Incorporate daytime exercise
While an intensive late-night exercise session isn’t recommended, doing some exercise earlier in the day can help you sleep later at night.7
Stick to a routine
Even the simple act of going to bed and getting up at the same time can improve the quality of your sleep.8
Sleep is a vital pillar of health, directly influencing your ability to lose weight and maintain energy levels. Health coaching can provide personalised strategies to improve your sleep hygiene and establish a routine that works for your lifestyle.
A health coach helps you identify habits that may disrupt sleep, such as late-night eating or screen time, and offers actionable solutions. By addressing these barriers, you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your weight loss journey.
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Good sleep is essential for weight loss, but it’s most effective when combined with other key factors like nutrition, exercise, and stress management. Together, these elements create a well-rounded foundation for lasting health.
Nutrition: Balanced meals support your body’s recovery processes during sleep.
Exercise: Physical activity improves sleep quality and helps regulate your body’s natural rhythms.
Stress management: Reducing stress can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
By integrating these factors, you can achieve a more sustainable and effective approach to weight loss.
Numan’s Weight Loss Programme tackles weight loss from every angle, including the critical role of sleep. By combining dietary guidance, medication, and expert support, the programme ensures that you have all the tools you need to succeed.
Here’s what the programme offers:
Medications: Prescription treatments to enhance metabolism and curb appetite.
Expert guidance: Access to specialists in sleep, nutrition, and behavioural science.
Obesity insights: Understanding obesity as a disease and learning how to manage it effectively.
Numan’s integrated approach helps you optimise your sleep and build a foundation for long-term weight loss success.
1 Papatriantafyllou, E., Efthymiou, D., Zoumbaneas, E., Popescu, C. A., & Vassilopoulou, E. (2022). Sleep deprivation: Effects on weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Nutrients, 14(8), 1549. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14081549
2 Based on over 3500 patients. Patel, Sanjay R, et al. "The Association between Sleep Duration and Obesity in Older Adults." International Journal of Obesity (2008).
3 Gardiner, C., Weakley, J., Burke, L. M., Roach, G. D., Sargent, C., Maniar, N., Townshend, A., & Halson, S. L. (2023). The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 69, 101764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101764
4 He, J.-W., Tu, Z.-H., Xiao, L., Su, T., & Tang, Y.-X. (2020). Effect of restricting bedtime mobile phone use on sleep, arousal, mood, and working memory: A randomized pilot trial. PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0228756. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228756
5 Gooley, J. J., Chamberlain, K., Smith, K. A., Khalsa, S. B. S., Rajaratnam, S. M. W., Van Reen, E., Zeitzer, J. M., Czeisler, C. A., & Lockley, S. W. (2010). Exposure to room light before bedtime suppresses melatonin onset and shortens melatonin duration in humans. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96(3), E463–E472. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2010-2098
6 Chung, N., Bin, Y. S., Cistulli, P. A., & Chow, C. M. (2020). Does the proximity of meals to bedtime influence the sleep of young adults? A cross-sectional survey of university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8), 2677. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082677
7 Frimpong, E., Mograss, M., Zvionow, T., & Dang-Vu, T. T. (2021). The effects of evening high-intensity exercise on sleep in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 60, 101535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101535
8 Chaput, J.-P., Dutil, C., Featherstone, R., Ross, R., Giangregorio, L., Saunders, T. J., Janssen, I., Poitras, V. J., Kho, M. E., Ross-White, A., Zankar, S., & Carrier, J. (2020). Sleep timing, sleep consistency, and health in adults: A systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 45(10 Suppl. 2), S232–S247. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0032
