How Sleep is Tied to Weight

By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD 

Amidst the most common weight loss suggestions to follow a weight-loss meal plan and increase exercise, the advice to prioritize sleep often takes a back seat. 

However, the quality of your sleep can have a direct impact on weight. Poor sleep can hinder weight loss while good sleep can help you maintain a healthy weight. 

Read on to learn more about the connection between sleep and weight and how to improve the quality of your shut-eye. 

The Effects of Poor Sleep on Weight 

While there is no standard definition for good sleep, it’s typically defined as falling asleep easily, not waking up multiple times throughout the night, and feeling refreshed upon waking. Many experts suggest that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. 

Not getting enough quality sleep can not only leave you feeling exhausted and worn down. It can also contribute to why you’re not losing weight. 

First, a good night of sleep provides you with enough energy to focus on your goals at hand. If you have been working hard to eat healthy meals and fit in a daily workout, it will be easier to stay on track if you are well-rested. You may also have less of an urge to reach for sweets, refined carbohydrates, or other foods that provide quick bursts of energy when you sleep well than when you’re overly tired. 

Second, feeling tired can trigger different hormonal responses in the body compared to feeling rested. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body may release more of the hormone ghrelin that increases appetite. At the same time, there is a decreased release of leptin, the hormone that tells the body to stop eating. 

Finally, if you are awake for most of the day, you have more time to eat. It may therefore be easy to overeat, especially at nighttime when snacks and sweet treats are especially appealing. Getting to bed at a reasonable hour, instead of reaching for that extra snack and clicking play on another episode of TV, can help you avoid consuming too many calories. 

How to Get Better Sleep 

Now that you know the importance of getting good sleep (and enough of it!) for maintaining a healthy weight, you may be wondering how to get better sleep. 

Here are a few ways to improve the quality and duration of your sleep: 

  • Work on managing conditions that impact your sleep, such as sleep apnea, pain, and stress, anxiety, or depression. Discuss options with your health care provider. 

  • Power down electronics at least an hour before bedtime. Screen time can simulate your brain and may make it harder for you to fall asleep. 

  • Avoid consuming too much caffeine, alcohol, and added sugars too close to bedtime. 

  • Make sure you get some physical activity during the day. However, don’t exercise too close to bedtime. 

  • Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature. It can be hard to get good sleep if you’re too hot or too cold. 

Note from Healthy For Life Meals: While you work on getting a good night’s sleep, let us take care of meals for you! Check out our menus today and get started with our fresh diet meal delivery plan for next week.

Stef Keegan