WEIGHT LOSS

WEIGHT LOSS AND SLEEP

Sleep is a vital factor in weight management, influencing appetite, energy levels, and overall wellbeing.

Discover how sleep quality impacts your weight loss journey

Learn practical tips to improve your sleep for better weight management

How is sleep linked to weight loss?

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.

7 ways sleep affects weight gain

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.

Increased cravings

Lack of sleep can heighten cravings for high-calorie, sugary foods, as your body seeks quick sources of energy to combat tiredness.

Reduced metabolism

Inadequate sleep can slow down your metabolism, making it harder to burn calories efficiently. Over time, this can contribute to weight gain.

Increased fat storage

Poor sleep can increase insulin resistance, leading to higher blood sugar levels and prompting your body to store more fat.

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.

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.

People who sleep less than five hours per night are almost four times as likely to be obese*

_*_{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).}

6 tips to optimise sleep

Follow these simple tips for an instantly better night's sleep.

Reduce caffeine intake

Research indicates that caffeine can remain in your system for up to 12 hours, potentially affecting your sleep. To ensure a restful night, consider avoiding caffeine consumption after midday.

Minimise blue light exposure

Ideally, you shouldn’t look at screens before you go to bed, but if you absolutely have to, make sure your blue light filter is on.

Dim the lights

Bright lights suppress melatonin levels in your body, which tells your body to stay awake. Dim the lights at night to let your body know it’s time to sleep.

Avoid late evening meals

If you eat late at night then your body starts working overtime to break down the food, which can interrupt your sleep and keep you awake.

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.

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.