It's late, and you know you should get to bed. But maybe there's just one more episode you're dying to watch; maybe it's that you still have to cram for tomorrow's final; maybe you've got kids keeping you up, maybe…maybe…maybe… We give ourselves so many excuses to keep ourselves awake, which we may regret in the morning when it's really time to wake up. But getting enough sleep and giving your body a chance to rest is so important for your overall health.
In fact, the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) published an eye-opening study that shows a direct link between getting more sleep and weight loss. Researchers found that overweight adults who typically slept less than seven hours a night managed to cut an average of 270 calories per day when they increased their sleep to 8.5 hours. Cutting 500 calories per day can help you lose one pound (about half a kilo) per week so that extra time spent curled up in bed can add up to significant weight loss.
Of course, the benefits of sleep on weight have always been well known. But this is one of the few studies that used real-life settings (i.e., not a sleep lab) to show accurate results. So, how does it actually work? Well, when the body is sleep deprived, there is an increase in the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates the feeling of hunger - does anybody else picture a starving little gremlin in your tummy, or is it just me? At the same time, when we don't get enough sleep, the hormone leptin, which tells us when we're full, decreases. So if you drag yourself to class yawning, you'll not only be hungrier, but you also won't know when to stop snacking!
There are other ways in which lack of sleep leads to weight gain. When tired, we often mistake our low energy levels for hunger, causing us to reach for extra snacks to get through that mid-afternoon slump. What's more, the longer we stay up, the more likely we'll snack throughout the evening. Several studies have found that sleep-deprived participants ate, on average, an extra 200-500 calories a day than their well-rested counterparts, and typically, those extra calories were consumed after 11 PM. Moreover, the longer you sleep, the more your body can handle such extra calories because well-rested people burn 5% more calories while sleeping than those who don't get enough shut-eye.
So, how much sleep should you be getting? Aim for seven to eight hours a night. A study conducted by Columbia University found that not only do people who sleep less than seven hours a night tend to be overweight, but they also have a harder time losing excess weight than those who are well-rested. How can you avoid this? Get to bed earlier and establish a sleep routine so your body gets used to sleeping at certain times. Turn off all electronics and keep them in the drawer so your phone's blinking light doesn't distract you. And perhaps most importantly, if you're having trouble sleeping, choose the right foods to help your body wind down. The following nutrients can act as natural sleep aids:
Magnesium
Many studies have shown that magnesium plays a significant role in the sleep cycle. Even a minor deficiency in this mighty nutrient can give you trouble falling and staying asleep. Find it in almonds, cashews, seeds, green leafy vegetables, yogurt, and dried fruits.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that controls when you fall asleep and when you wake up. The melatonin levels in your body naturally rise overnight and drop during the day to keep you sleeping at the correct hours. Some foods contain small amounts of melatonin-boosting nutrients, so eating them as a bedtime snack might help relax your body into sleep mode. These include cherries, oats, pineapple, and bananas.
Tryptophan
Speaking of melatonin, tryptophan is an amino acid that triggers the release of melatonin, so the more tryptophan-containing foods you eat, the sleepier you'll get. Tryptophan is made more readily available with more carbohydrates, which is why you often get sleepy when you eat a carb-heavy meal. Foods high in tryptophan include cheese, milk, chicken, turkey, wheat, and nuts.
The more sleep you get, the more you'll be able to handle whatever life throws at you. Regularly getting enough sleep will make you calmer, less stressed, and more likely to make healthier choices. So tonight, stop scrolling TikTok, turn off the TV, and get your beauty sleep - there's a reason Sleeping Beauty was so slim!
References
- Papatriantafyllou, E., Efthymiou, D., Zoumbaneas, E., Popescu, C. A., & Vassilopoulou, E. (2022, 8 Apr). Sleep deprivation: Effects on weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Nutrients. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9031614/
- Tasali, Esra, et al. "Effect of Sleep Extension on Objectively Assessed Energy Intake among Adults with Overweight in Real-Life Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial." JAMA Internal Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Apr. 2022, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8822469/
Anwar AlMansoor, MPH, RD
Senior Instructor for Clinical Nutrition.