By treating sleep as an integral component of your health regime, you’re not just working towards shedding pounds—you’re investing in a healthier, more vibrant life. Remember, every small change contributes to overall better health and aids weight loss. The connection between sleep and weight loss is evident and multifaceted. Studies show that individuals who lack sufficient sleep are more likely to choose calorie-dense foods over healthier options. It is because your sleep quality might be poor. You may sleep for 9 hours and yet feel sluggish, yawning all day, tired, terribly tired. However, many may work wonderfully with sleep as few as 6 hours a day. Eat a Balanced Diet for Better Sleep and Weight Loss All paper records were entered into the web version of the app by study staff. All participants were instructed to either use a mobile app “MyFitnessPal” (MyfitnessPal, Inc) or to record on pater their food and drinks including the type and amount throughout the week. An average time in bed (TIB) of 9 h were used as further exclusion criteria; however, no additional participants were excluded because of this. About 41% of Australian adults sleep fewer than 7 hours a night.While sleep duration matters, the quality of sleep also plays an essential role in metabolic health.You likely struggled to get through the day and were not raring to go to the gym to work out.That’s why we have put together ways for you to ensure a good night’s sleep every night of the week, ensuring you stay strong, fit, and happy.They put people on a five versus eight hours.Finding ways to manage stress, such as seeking therapy, engaging in mindfulness practices, or talking to a mental health professional, can help improve both your sleep and weight loss progress.Two hormones in your body help control your appetite. Short sleep duration, glucose dysregulation and hormonal regulation of appetite in men and women. This routine might include activities like reading a book, practicing gentle yoga or stretching, or engaging in meditation or deep breathing exercises. It’s about establishing a consistent routine that allows your body to naturally wind down and prepare for rest. Generally, going to bed earlier and waking up with the sun can help regulate our metabolism and hormone production. The timing of our sleep also matters. The experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep each night for adults — this isn’t just for weight loss, but for health and wellbeing in general. It also supports a healthy metabolism, helping your body burn calories and use energy efficiently. (25) A more recent study showed that sleeping only five hours a night for four nights changed how the body metabolizes (breaks down) fats. This hormonal imbalance can lead to increased cravings and overeating, making it harder to maintain or lose weight. Improving your sleep patterns takes effort, but the benefits are significant. Aim to turn off screens at least an hour before bedtime and engage in relaxing activities such as reading or meditation instead. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with melatonin production, disrupting your sleep cycle. A typical sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes and consists of the various stages mentioned above. Inconsistent sleep timing throughout the week can raise insulin resistance. Set a regular bedtime and wake-up time—and resolve to stick with them. We all need sleep—it’s a biological necessity—but optimal sleep is a learned behavior. Sleep hygiene is the small habits and environmental changes that can make a big difference to how well you sleep. Sleep also affects your stress levels. ”, poor sleep could be one of the missing pieces. If you’ve ever thought “I’m doing everything right – so why am I not losing weight? Could Oviva’s NHS-funded weight management service help you? Over time, that can cause significant weight gain.” But, given the opportunity, the subjects in this study more than made up for it by bingeing on snacks, taking in more than 300 extra calories. “One study has reported that each added hour of wakefulness uses about 17 extra calories. Learn More About Sleep Deprivation As with most things, a well-balanced diet rich in nutritious foods is the best approach for ensuring sleep quality. For example, having a particularly fatty or spicy meal later on in the day can cause gastrointestinal issues which subsequently disrupts sleep quality. On the flip side, our weight and dietary choices can also have an effect on sleep quality – so the relationship works in both directions. Research has found that when people have had a bad night's sleep, their energy expenditure the following day is reduced. For example, in a 2010 randomized crossover study, 12 healthy men were restricted to either 4 or 8 hours a sleep . Research Insights on Sleep Duration Turns out that how well you sleep plays an important role. But there’s a third factor that can be key to weight management, and it’s often overlooked. Staying physically active helps you burn more calories. This is because instead of focusing on burning fat as it should, the body is busy trying to metabolize the alcohol instead. Bogan suggested limiting your intake of alcohol and other substances as they can cause sleep disruption (not to mention easily adding a few hundred calories to your daily total). Then it knows when to prepare for incoming food by releasing the 'hunger hormones,' ghrelin and leptin, digest the meal, and then release the hormone melatonin to help us wind down for sleep. But strength training should be, too, especially for anyone who wants to take advantage of nocturnal weight loss. He suggested having a consistent sleep schedule and said that the average adult needs roughly seven and a half to nine hours of sleep. A sleep deprived or sleepy brain is a hungry brain," he said. "Poor sleep leads to weight gain.” In fact, this disruption may be encouraging the body to hold onto fat when it really should not. Even the CDC doesn’t list 8 hours as necessary for adults. Start by finding a comfortable spot to quietly review the day’s high points. Maybe you’ll make it to your gym tomorrow for HIIT cardio, but if all you do today is unroll your yoga mat and indulge in some “happy baby” or “dolphin” poses, then that’s great, too! As part of your weight-loss goals, take incremental steps to drink less. While sleep duration has been shown to affect appetite and caloric intake, sleep quality is also crucial. However, researchers noted that sleep-deprived people tend to consume less fat and protein while their carbohydrate intake remains stagnant. Additionally, sleep loss can impact how your body reacts to production of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Study population These six reasons are your best excuses to hit the snooze button and get more sleep. If you've ever needed a reason to sleep in, this is it. Make sure your room is dark and free of distractions to help you sleep more soundly. Whether it is reading a book, taking a warm bath, or meditating, a relaxing routine can help you drift off easier and get a more restful night. Caffeine can interfere with your sleep by blocking the effects of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that helps you feel sleepy. Now she is guiding me through the process of my weight maintenance as this is definitely a life style change for me. He pointed out all the issues I had with my blood draw and told me that he will work to get me to optimum health! Few things feel more frustrating than working hard on your health goals and suddenly watching your progress stop. When you don’t get enough quality sleep, it can disrupt your hormones and increase your appetite. Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on your weight, making it harder to achieve your weight loss goals. Doctor, thank you for taking time to be with us today. And it - that tends to tamp down the natural lull that people often have later in the day. Glare and other forms of light pollution are recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) as a public health issue of concern. Others are looking at how changing the time when current drugs are taken may make them work better. It’s generally accepted that light exposure can reset the main clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the brain, and that cues from the main clock as well as from eating and activity can reset peripheral clocks that operate in almost all the body’s cells. “Biological night” is defined as the period between the onset and cessation of melatonin secretion. Writing in the 18 December 2008 issue of Nature, he proposed the clock may be the “conductor of the orchestra” that keeps all the body’s behavioral and physiological functions working in harmony. The questionnaire consists of 19 questions regarding a variety of factors related to sleep quality in the past month prior to questionnaire completion. Subjective sleep quality was assessed using a Danish version of the PSQI . To support weight maintenance after weight loss, all participants attended monthly consultations with weighing and dietetic support in accordance with recommendations from the Danish authorities. In patients with type 2 diabetes, liraglutide decreased daytime sleepiness . Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) inhibit appetite and lower body weight and may, therefore, also improve sleep. Cortisol, Insulin and Fat Storage: The Hidden Side of Sleep Loss The best time to sleep to lose weight is a time that matches your circadian rhythm and is at roughly the same time each night. You need to get your individual sleep need, the genetically determined amount of sleep you need each night, to maximize weight loss. Not getting enough sleep can cause you to eat more calories, burn fewer calories, and store more fat and belly fat, and it increases your odds of obesity. Sleep deprivation can cause you to eat more calories, burn fewer calories, store more fat, and lose less weight, even when dieting. Enhancing your sleep habits isn’t just a luxury; it’s a strategic move in your weight loss journey. Sleep deprivation instigates a vicious cycle that adversely affects metabolism and weight loss efforts. Laying the foundation for optimal sleep is paramount in your weight loss journey. Deep sleep is where cellular repair and muscle growth transpire, optimizing metabolism and overall health. A lack of sleep or bad sleep habits can lead to problems with thinking, concentrating, memory, reaction times and mood amongst other cognitive issues. It's no secret that sleep is one of the most important pillars of good health and well-being . Remember that weight loss is as much a change in your habits as it is a change in what you eat. If you’re aiming to shed some pounds, sleeping well should be high on your priority list. If you’re looking for another way to support sleep, consider a melatonin supplement before sleep. Metabolism naturally slows down during sleep, but disrupted sleep or insomnia can lead to metabolic dysregulation. There’s a strong connection between poor sleep and increased Body Mass Index (BMI). You could get up and read a book, listen to a podcast or calming music and go back to bed when you feel like you might be able to fall asleep. And these factors all contribute toward maintaining a healthy weight. Furthermore, our body expends energy (albeit in smaller doses than when we're awake) while we're asleep. Per Healthline, as much as over 80% of weight lost while we sleep has to do with water weight loss. A small study published in the journal Obesity found that volunteers who were woken after a mere four hours of sleep woke up with 2.6% lower resting metabolic rates compared with their baselines. Even just dimming the lights can help signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down. The blue light from phones, TVs, and laptops can mess with melatonin (your sleep hormone). This helps regulate your circadian rhythm and makes it easier to fall asleep. If that feels totally out of reach, don’t worry—you don’t have to overhaul your routine overnight. But that habit can take a toll, especially over time. How to improve sleep for better weight management Urge your clients to make a commitment to increase sleep consistency, and they will not only sleep better, they will be more likely to achieve their weight-loss goals with greater ease. However, research suggests that productivity increases, car accidents decrease, mental health improves and risk for disease reduces when we get the ideal amount of sleep. Many people believe they can get by with little sleep, when they really cannot. They don’t need to (and probably cannot) fix their sleep habits overnight. When we don’t get enough sleep, ghrelin levels increase, which amplifies appetite. Driven by light exposure, this rhythm signals the brain to release melatonin, our “sleep hormone,” as darkness falls, preparing your body for sleep. Our sleep–wake cycle (or circadian rhythm) is, your body’s internal clock that tells the body when it should be awake or asleep. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and four active kids, lifting weights and getting better at rock climbing one route at a time. Her byline can be found at Forbes Vetted, Fortune Recommends, mindbodygreen, Everyday Health and other popular outlets. Poor sleep affects your hormones, metabolism, food choices, energy levels, and fat storage. Consuming too many calories in the evening hours can make weight control more difficult since it appears that calories consumed at night are more likely to be stored as fat, instead of burned for energy. Let me be clear, using sedatives to trigger weight loss—essentially by sleeping through parts of the day when one might otherwise be eating meals—is unhealthy and downright dangerous. Lack of sleep causes food cravings and you’re more likely to turn to junk food when you’re tired.Sleep and weight loss are also linked by metabolism. Would you really have the energy to whip up a healthy meal with all the right macros when you’re running on 3 short hours of sleep? While the connection between sleep and obesity may still be a little fuzzy, there's no doubt that sleep deprivation can have a major impact on your ability to maintain weight loss or keep a healthy body mass . One study randomised forty-six patients with overweight/obesity to either a weight loss (diet, exercise and cognitive behavioural therapy) plus sleep intervention arm, or weight loss alone and showed there was a greater amount of weight loss after 12 weeks in the sleep group, although drop-out rates were high and sleep was not monitored objectively, thus more evidence is needed(79). Both poor sleep quality and poor diet quality are end products of psychological factors such as work or family stress, anxiety or loneliness leading to emotional distress(41); therefore, it is important to determine whether poor sleep quality itself can initiate or exacerbate unhealthy food choices to better support the design of intervention strategies to improve diet. Combining good sleep habits with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and other healthy lifestyle choices will maximize your weight loss results. Finally, exercise retained the low-calorie diet-induced improvements in sleep quality during weight maintenance, whereas liraglutide treatment initially increased sleep duration after weight loss. While lower prices for state Medicaid programs could help alleviate cost concerns for states and result in expanded coverage of obesity drugs, how the new lower costs compare to the net prices state Medicaid programs currently pay and how states will respond amid tightening budget conditions remain unclear. At the federal level, the Trump administration decided not to proceed with a Biden administration proposal to allow Medicare and require Medicaid to cover obesity drugs but recently launched their own obesity drug coverage initiatives to reduce costs and increase access (see Box 1). However, almost four in ten adults and a quarter of children with Medicaid have obesity, meaning expanding Medicaid coverage of these drugs could provide access to effective obesity treatments for millions. When you sleep, your body releases growth hormone (GH) – which helps with muscle repair.Obesity is a contributing factor for the development of sleep apnea (also referred to clinically as obstructive sleep apnea).Higher activation of this brain region has been found in obese compared with normal-weight test subjects when anticipating food indicating that the reward we get from food is enhanced in obesity.It’s important to note though that not all studies find that sleep restriction has a profound effect on energy expenditure.Creating a comfortable and soothing sleep environment is essential for quality sleep.If you’re struggling despite your best efforts in diet and exercise, it may be time to examine your sleep patterns and address any potential sleep disorders that could be hindering your progress.A criticism of this initial “sleep debt study” was that there may be an order effect,31 since the fully rested condition always followed the sleep debt condition.21 Partly to address this concern, a second study that examined the impact of sleep restriction (4 hours per night for 2 nights) as compared to sleep extension (10 hours per night for 2 nights) used a randomized cross-over design and confirmed the findings of the “sleep debt” study.“Sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, making us feel hungrier, while reducing levels of the hormone leptin that keep us full and satisfied.” One strategy for optimizing sleep for weight loss is maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. The link between sleep and weight loss is a crucial aspect that individuals should consider when striving to achieve their weight loss goals. Dinges D.F.; Pack, F.; et al., Cumulative sleepiness, mood disturbance, and psychomotor vigilance performance decrements during a week of sleep restricted to 4–5 hours per night. When cortisol is balanced, it can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, which in turn makes it easier to stick to a healthy routine that supports weight loss. The good news is that weight loss can reduce the fat around the neck and throat, which can alleviate the severity of sleep apnea. In other words, not sleeping enough sends your body into fat-storage mode, making it much easier to gain weight and much harder to lose it. Sleeping poorly, or not enough, slows the body’s metabolism. During several interviews, I’ve been asked, “Are sleeping pills the new diet pills? In my second book, The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan, I discuss how sleep affects appetite, digestion, and metabolism. Over the years, I’ve treated hundreds of patients who struggle with both sleep and weight issues. Yes, how well and how long you sleep can actually affect your body weight, appetite, food choices, energy levels, and even your fat storage. Staying on a healthy sleep routine—for most adults, that’s seven to nine hours a night of high-quality rest—is critical to keeping the body’s biorhythms in sync and functioning properly. In a small experimental study, people on a reduced-calorie, nutritionally balanced diet were sleep-restricted to fewer than 5.5 hours for one 14-day period and in a separate 14-day period were allowed to sleep more than 7 hours a night. To maintain a healthy lifestyle and support weight loss efforts, it is crucial to prioritize getting enough quality sleep each night. This philosophy is central to Ayurvedic weight loss. Shathayu Retreat follows an Ayurvedic weight management approach that aims to restore balance within oneself rather than quick weight loss. Internal imbalance will impair metabolism even if one exercises. Emotional rhythms affect the body’s metabolic functioning through the nervous and hormonal systems, influencing the storage and release of energy. It should be combined with a diabetes-friendly diet and regular exercise. This led to the FDA approving tirzepatide for Type 2 diabetes, weight loss, and OSA. Getting enough good quality sleep is important in many ways. This is borne out by another Nutracheck survey - we asked members 'Do your sleep patterns affect your food choices? Plus, the longer you are awake, the greater the 'eating window' – that is, time available to consume more calories. Extended-sleep participants also consumed an average of 270 fewer calories each day and lost about a pound compared to control group participants, who gained just under a pound on average. With the aim of lengthening sleep times to 8.5 hours, one group received individualized counseling pointing out ways to alter sleep-busting factors relating to bed partner, children, and pets. Digestive capacity, metabolic rhythm, sleep quality, stress load, emotional patterns, and daily routine structure. When weight remains unchanged despite consistent effort or when the body shows resistance, fatigue, or repeated rebound patterns. Inadequate sleep can increase the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, promote inflammation and oxidative stress and lead to disturbances in lipid metabolism, which then can accelerate the progression of type 2 diabetes and CVD. These findings suggest that mild circadian misalignment may also influence dietary behaviour independently of sleep duration. For example, consumption of a higher proportion of energy as protein during energy-restricted diets improved Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index scores compared with lower relative protein intakes(43). Whilst consideration of sleep duration is essential in evaluating an individual’s overall health, it does not capture the whole picture in terms of optimal sleep function. These findings align with the observational data and suggest that cross-sectional associations between short sleep and higher sugar intake is at least in part attributable to a direct effect of short sleep on consumption of foods high in sugar(34). Quality sleep means paying attention to healthy sleeping habits.Weight control practices of U.S. adults trying to lose weight.When the mice got back in sync with their circadian rhythms, however, they were no longer as susceptible to the poor health outcomes of their unhealthy diet.Neck circumference and waist circumference were not predictors of AHI change at the 4-year follow-up after weight change was included in the models (11).The S-LiTE study was funded by an Excellence grant (NNF16OC ) from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.It can be said that our sleep quality has decreased in recent years as a reflection of modern life. If your circadian rhythm doesn’t match your lifestyle — perhaps you’re a night owl who needs to be up early for work — you can learn how to reset your circadian rhythm here. Don’t let a messed-up body clock stop you from losing weight. The RISE app can work out how much sleep debt you’re carrying and keep track of it as you pay it down. This would translate to 26 pounds of weight loss over three years. If we miss the odd night's sleep or have an occasional bad night, it's not a big deal. It spends time repairing body tissue and releasing immune-boosting chemicals. In truth, it's not fully understood why we need the amount of sleep we do, but we do know that while we rest, our body does various important processes. And while we may be able to function on minimal sleep, it can harm our long term health. Dr. Richard K. Bogan, a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and sleep researcher, said sleep in and of itself can help aid in weight loss. The first step to optimizing your sleep for weight loss is to get enough of it. Just remember to practice good sleep hygiene to improve the quality of the sleep you get, and you’re sure to be the star of your own success story. Losing weight with weight loss surgery can also treat sleep apnea. Sleep can impact your hormone levels, metabolism, and appetite, all of which play a role in weight management. Getting enough sleep isn’t only about feeling rested; it can be an important part of your weight loss journey. Maggie is passionate about teaching people about disease prevention, healthy living, and how to navigate the U.S. healthcare system. When you’re sleep-deprived, you may crave foods that feed into that reward system. These stimulants tend to decrease the duration of deep sleep you get per night, leading to less time for the brain to repair the body. Limiting caffeine and alcohol can significantly improve your quality of sleep while promoting weight loss. Eating a balanced diet — especially if you feel like snacking before bed — is essential for promoting better sleep and weight loss. Research has shown that eating a diet high in sugar, saturated fats, and processed carbohydrates can have a negative effect on both your sleep and weight. Exercise can also help stabilize your mood, which may help improve decision-making, which makes it easier to resist unhealthy foods that can cause weight gain. In one study, researchers observed the brain activity of healthy volunteers using MRI scanners. The link between sleep and body weight is complex, but evidence supports a relationship – so let's look into how the two are linked. Here we'll discuss exactly how sleep, health and weight are linked, as well as ways to start prioritising your shut-eye where needed. When you sleep too little, your cortisol levels increase. That’s why sleep routines play a big role in weight and mood. When you get good sleep, your body balances two key hormones. Research points out that sleeping for 4 hours over the span of 6 days can reduce our leptin levels by 26%, making us feel less full. Unsurprisingly, research suggests that those who sleep under the recommended 7 to 9 hours a day, increase their chances of weight gain. Remember, consistent, restful sleep is not just about feeling good; it’s an essential component of a healthy lifestyle and successful weight management. In the quest for effective weight loss, diet and exercise often take center stage. We found that sleep restriction resulted in less loss of fat but greater loss of lean mass among the total mass lost, despite similar weight loss between the two groups. Is It Snoring or Is It Sleep Apnea? In the last 20 years, the prevalence of sleep apnea has risen in the United States. If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. Here is how much sleep a person needs – Where babies require more sleep, adults require comparatively less. Now, the amount of sleep changes with age. However, there is strong evidence that improving sleep quality can positively impact mental health that is likely to enable healthier dietary behaviours(42). Observational studies from various countries have reported associations between better sleep quality and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, higher intake of fruits and vegetables and lower dietary inflammatory index and high sugar/refined starch food intakes, as reviewed by Godos et al.(39). Relatively few nutritional/weight management studies have used objective methods, for example by actigraphy, to assess measures of sleep quality during defined time periods, including frequency and duration of awakenings/sleep fragmentation, wake time after sleep onset, sleep latency and sleep efficiency. Heightened stress levels increase cortisol, a hormone that can trigger cravings for junk food, referred to as emotional eating. Sleep directly impacts mood and stress levels, with a lack of sleep often causing irritability, anxiety and increased stress. Your brain produces more motivation-boosting chemicals that make exercise feel rewarding rather than a slog, motivating you to be physically active for longer during the day. We all know how a bad night’s sleep can leave us feeling heavy and lethargic. The hormonal imbalance caused by poor sleep often leads to overeating and difficulty resisting foods high in salt, sugar and carbohydrates. When you’re not getting enough sleep, your body is running on fumes. According to the authors of one recent study, when and how we rest can play a huge role in weight loss and your risk of becoming obese. Take the time to optimize your bedroom and incorporate these tips into your routine, and you’ll be on your way to better sleep and a healthier lifestyle. Avoid stimulating activities, such as using electronic devices or engaging in intense exercise, close to bedtime as they can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Engaging in calming activities before bed can help signal to your body that it’s time to sleep. Engage in relaxation techniques before bedtime, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises, to promote better sleep and reduce stress.” Sleeping in a room around 66 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Celcius) might help your body burn more calories during sleep,” says Best. Stay hydrated throughout the day to support your body’s many functions, boost your metabolism, and curb unnecessary snacking. They could make a positive difference in your weight-loss journey. Here’s the science on sleeping and the scale. Exercise, even during the evening, can have a calming effect and help your mind relax and prepare for sleep. In a randomized, controlled, two-by-two factorial study, 195 adults with obesity completed an 8-week low-calorie diet and were randomly assigned to 1-year weight loss maintenance with or without exercise and liraglutide 3.0 mg/day or placebo. Another study found that after an eight-week period of dieting (participants ate just 800 calories a day), people on average lost 12% of their body weight. One study found that over 14-day period of a restricted calorie diet, people who got eight and a half hours sleep lost more weight than those who got five and half hours. This consistency improves your overall sleep quality, which in turn supports healthy metabolic function and weight loss. While catching up helps in the short term, irregular sleep patterns can confuse your body clock and impact metabolism. Think of sleep, diet, and exercise as three legs of a stool—if one is weak, the whole system becomes unstable. Lack of sleep increases cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone, which encourages fat storage—especially in the abdominal area. Good sleep helps regulate hunger hormones, reduces cravings, boosts metabolism, and helps you make better food choices. Most adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night for optimal health. Several specific areas illustrate how sleep affects weight management, sleep quality, and the overall benefits of improving sleep habits. Studies reveal that quality sleep helps regulate hormones that control appetite, which can lead to more balanced energy levels. A healthy weight may also strengthen the immune system, allowing the body to fend off illnesses more effectively. This can then affect how your body regulates glucose, or blood sugar, ultimately leading to weight gain.5 Yet, being aware of the link and taking steps to promote better rest may help you avoid sleep loss-related weight gain. Still, getting enough sleep isn’t always possible, especially if you’re a shift worker, have a new baby at home, or are going through a period of increased stress. While many of the effects of sleep deprivation1 are well-known, such as a reduced ability to function at school or work, one surprising impact of poor sleep is the increased risk of weight gain2. If you’re in the “running but gaining weight” camp, you’re not alone. The answer isn’t a single culprit; several common dynamics work together, turning running into a weight puzzle rather than a straightforward fat burner. Small, consistent tweaks—eat regularly, hydrate thoughtfully, and give your body time to adapt—transform how you feel on and off the track. Cortisol from stress and poor rest can boost cravings and belly fat, so calm routines and solid rest support both running goals and weight management. How much sleep you need to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight really depends on how old you are and can be different for each person. If you have ever struggled to lose weight one commonly overlooked factor is the number of hours of sleep you get a night. Here are some of the ways our weight and diet can impact our quality of sleep. But it's not necessarily the lack of sleep that directly leads to an increase in fat stores in the body, it's more about how it alters our behaviours and choices throughout the day. Research suggests that increasing sleep duration naturally lowers caloric intake without requiring drastic dietary changes. The release of growth hormone—an essential factor for fat metabolism—peaks in this period. Inadequate sleep impairs insulin sensitivity, increasing the likelihood of fat storage rather than fat burning. We've got you covered by listing the best foods for sleep. In the laboratory studies, differences in energy expenditure between the two bedtime conditions were minimal because the subjects were at bed rest. Taken together, these studies indicate that sleep duration may play an important role in the regulation of human leptin and ghrelin levels, hunger and appetite. The findings from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study regarding the relationship between sleep duration and BMI, leptin and ghrelin, were not confirmed in a subsequent smaller study including only post-menopausal women.71 Cross-sectional analysis did not reveal an association between short sleep, higher BMI, lower leptin and higher ghrelin. Another laboratory study, which used a randomized cross-over design to compare the impact of restricted versus extended sleep, observed similar effects of sleep restriction on leptin. Short sleepers (mean sleep duration of 5.38 h/night) and normal sleepers (mean sleep duration of 6.80 h/night) had similar age and BMI, and there was an even distribution across the four randomization groups. We assessed potential differences between participants with short and normal sleep duration in order to identify potential mechanisms underlying different weight trajectories. Based on the PSQI data, 48 (24%) participants had potential sleep apnea before the low-calorie diet. In total, 166 (85%) participants attended the final assessment of body weight (52 weeks after randomization), for which valid accelerometer data were available for 119 participants and a PSQI global score was available for 161 participants. Chronic Insomnia SolutionsChronic insomnia affects people in various ways, from trouble falling asleep to frequent awakenings. Late-night parties, impromptu plans, or binge-watching marathons can sabotage your consistent bedtime. Plus, you can exchange tips about common issues such as nighttime cravings or stress-induced insomnia. Several online platforms host “sleep challenges” where participants share bedtime goals and track progress. If a partner or roommate keeps late hours, discuss your new sleep-focused goals. Levels of ghrelin decrease at night because your body is not required to generate a lot of energy while you sleep compared to when you are awake. The recommended sleep duration for adults is seven to nine hours a night, but many people often sleep for less than this. However, long naps or irregular napping habits may disrupt your regular sleep cycle, potentially leading to poorer overall sleep quality at night. Napping for about minutes can help alleviate fatigue, improve mood, and boost cognitive function, making it easier to stick to healthy eating habits and exercise routines. And if you’re someone who works out in the morning, going to bed too late can derail even the best intentions.Many factors are responsible for this epidemic of sleep deprivation.It’s a sleep disorder where you regularly struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get quality sleep, even when you have enough time to sleep.People taking a placebo lost only about 1% during the same time.And while we’re at it, we’ll also explore how your sleeping environment, including your mattress, can support better rest.On the flip side, prioritizing good sleep hygiene can make weight loss easier by balancing hunger hormones, improving energy levels, reducing stress, and supporting fat burning. Most people gain and lose a little weight from day to day, but these changes tend to stay within a five-pound range. Unexplained weight loss is a noticeable drop in your body weight without trying. With these simple, sustainable practices, anyone can easily start on the path to healthy hair and a well-managed weight. With consistency and mindful choices, it is possible to promote healthy hair and effective weight management. Not only does a good night’s sleep have a direct impact on how we look, but it also significantly affects our metabolism. By limiting screen time an hour before bed, you give your body the best chance to wind down naturally.Sleep hygiene, which involves habits that promote quality sleep, can be a starting point for improving your sleep.In particular, weight loss that is tailored to individual patient preferences is now recommended in practice guidelines as part of the OSA treatment strategy for those who are overweight or obese.Sufficient sleep can also make you feel less hungry and help you to eat healthier foods; and the good news is that sleep is free, has no side effects, and has many other benefits to overall health and well-being.In a laser lipo procedure, the technician will target your fat cells with the laser.Your circadian rhythms, or “body clock,” govern many biological systems, including appetite and metabolism.However, overall OSA severity across the 10-year period was reduced with ILI, and this improvement was related to change in body weight, greater severity of OSA at baseline, and lifestyle intervention independent of weight change.A disruption in sleep can lead to hormonal imbalances, prompting an increase in ghrelin levels, which subsequently elevates hunger and food intake.If emotional eating, body shame, and diet disappointment feel like your constant reality… this book is your secret weapon. Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) are popular medications for weight loss. And a comparison study found a similar occurrence of serious side effects in people using Zepbound and Wegovy. Zepbound and Wegovy are both FDA approved for weight loss. This gives your body time to adjust to Zepbound and find the right dose for you. Yes, if you need more help managing your body weight, it’s possible to switch from Wegovy to Zepbound. She’s been a registered dietitian since 2011 and has a master's degree in kinesiology from A.T. She holds master's degrees in both nutrition science and exercise physiology from San Diego State University. She’s been a registered dietitian since 2010 and has been a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics since 2017. Andrea has a passion for empowering individuals to leverage their unique physiology to optimize performance and health. The solution isn't to diet harder or do more cardio—it's to fundamentally change the approach. Crash diets are particularly damaging during menopause. Each cycle of calorie restriction without strength training strips away muscle, making the next diet harder than the last. After sleep restriction, the levels of leptin, a satiety factor, are lower and the levels of ghrelin, an appetite stimulant, are higher. Figure 1 provides a schematic representation of some of the pathways that could mediate an adverse effect of sleep loss on the risk of obesity and diabetes. The present review examines the existing evidence for a link between short sleep and increased risk of obesity and diabetes and explores putative causal mechanisms. Eating late at night can lead to higher glucose levels and increased fat storage since cells become more insulin-resistant during the evening hours. When this rhythm is disrupted—such as through irregular sleep schedules, night-shift work, or late-night eating—the body's ability to process food efficiently declines. Your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm, regulates various metabolic functions, including fat metabolism during sleep. Amanda Nighbert, registered dietitian and guest on The Rest Factor Podcast, emphasizes that sleep is one of the most underrated factors in achieving sustainable weight loss. If you’ve tried weight loss programs and exercise routines and have not been successful at losing weight, you should examine your sleep. By 2024, Ozempic had surpassed Trulicity, also approved for type 2 diabetes (not obesity) to make up the largest share of GLP-1 prescriptions and spending (39% in 2024). Prescriptions and spending on Ozempic, approved for type 2 diabetes (not obesity) in 2017, have grown considerably over the period. At the same time, gross spending increased ninefold, from about $1 billion in 2019 to almost $9 billion in 2024, and gross spending per GLP-1 prescription reached $1,000 in 2024. Right now, there’s not enough evidence to state that sleeping itself can speed up weight-loss. All that action requires glucose as fuel, which leads to a higher resting metabolic rate—the energy a body needs for basic functioning, Dr. St-Onge says. Poor sleep can hamper executive functioning, the set of cognitive processes that help us organise our time and tasks, solve problems and manage impulses, notes a 2017 report in the journal Nature and Science of Sleep. When you don’t get enough quality sleep, the production of ghrelin increases, leading to an increase in hunger and cravings for unhealthy foods. When you get enough high-quality sleep, your body functions optimally, ensuring a healthy balance of these hormones. Mind-body exercises, such as yoga or tai chi, can be particularly beneficial for enhancing sleep quality and reducing stress. When combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, regular physical activity can enhance weight loss results. Neither average weekly sleep loss (across all 7 days) nor the increase in sleep on ad libitum days versus baseline were significantly correlated with any of the body weight or composition measures.It's clear that getting enough good-quality sleep is essential – so how can you make sure you do this?Many of the benefits of exercise can be seen immediately, like reduced anxiety, lowered blood pressure, and better sleep.This allows the fat cells to drain lipids but remain intact and alive otherwise.For this reason, sleep specialists typically recommend weight loss in people with OSA who are overweight or are obese. In one study, people were put on the same calorie-restricted diet. When you sleep well, you wake up with more energy and motivation to move your body. If you’re dealing with chronic stress, poor sleep, and stubborn belly fat all at once, you’re not alone. Sleep deprived people struggle to stick with healthy habits. Sleep affects how well your body handles food and energy. This proves how deep the connection between sleep and weight loss really goes. That is why the sleep and weight loss connection holds so much value. Less than seven hours of rest at night causes changes in your metabolism. These preventive measures play a significant role in optimizing sleep, which, in turn, supports weight loss efforts. Additionally, ensuring that the bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool can enhance sleep quality. This insulin resistance can contribute to weight gain, making it harder to lose weight even with a proper diet and exercise routine. As suggested by previous studies, diet and physical activity may alter the symptoms and possibly the severity of OSA (26–31). Remission at 4 years was five times more common in ILI participants (20.7%) than in DSE participants (3.6%) (11). Using a generalized estimating equation model, inferences on intervention effects at each visit were not affected when the analysis was weighted to account for missingness. For the analysis using probability of missingness as a weight, participants with nonmonotone patterns of missingness were excluded. However, individual responses to typical weight-loss programs can vary greatly, emphasizing the need to adopt more personalized approaches. She is an expert in sleep disorders with a specific interest in sleep-disordered breathing. Esra Tasali, MD, is interested in the links between sleep and metabolic, endocrine and cardiovascular functions. “In our earlier work, we understood that sleep is important for appetite regulation,” said Tasali. Poor sleep is also linked to changes in serotonin levels.This creates a virtuous cycle where weight loss helps improve sleep, and better sleep, in turn, makes it easier to continue losing weight.It also supports a healthy metabolism, helping your body burn calories and use energy efficiently.But he adds that his weight loss center has long advised establishing a routine that avoids late-night eating.Having a sweet, light snack such as milk mixed with a touch of honey may promote a night of deep rest, especially if done on the regular.Taking steps such as establishing a consistent bedtime, being active during the day, and staying off digital devices at night may help you sleep better and longer.Getting enough rest ensures you have the energy and focus to work out effectively.During that period, sleep-restricted study subjects reported higher scores for hunger and a stronger desire to eat.The notion of “leptin resistance” has been introduced to explain the paradoxical observation that most obese individuals have high, rather, than low plasma leptin levels.While researchers are still working to understand this connection, it’s well known that exercise is essential to maintaining weight loss and overall health. It Boosts Fat LossEven if you eat the exact same diet as your friend, if you’re not getting the sleep your body needs, you won’t drop as much fat as them. A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that normal sleepers' resting energy expenditure—the amount of calories burned when you’re not moving—was five percent higher than their tired counterparts. By regulating hormones, boosting metabolism, and reducing cravings, quality sleep is an essential part of your journey towards a healthier body. Nosebleeds While Sleeping Your self-control takes a hit after sleep loss, meaning it’s much harder to resist high-calorie, high-carbohydrate junk foods. Here’s how a poor night’s sleep is reflected in your waistline. The good news is you can protect progress by treating sleep like training and choosing smarter workouts on rough nights. Sleep fuels recovery, appetite control, and consistent training, so even a few poor nights can tilt the scales away from fat loss and toward fatigue. In the short term, it can cause sleep disturbances, fatigue, stress and irritability. Early starts, late finishes, or working right through the night – shift work can take a big toll on your body in many different ways. It can result in less energy which unsurprisingly affects our activity levels. Lack of sleep has many different effects on the body, not least that it reduces our ability to function properly. In sleep medicine, as in many areas, the right diagnosis is the beginning of the right treatment. If there is a broader lesson here, it is that modern healthcare is not only about managing disease. Health information, including AI-assisted summaries, can help people recognise symptoms and seek help sooner. For sleep-disordered breathing, this may involve formal sleep testing rather than relying solely on a wearable estimate. Lifestyle measures and sleep hygiene can be vital components, but the appropriate mix depends on the individual. It has been shown that a 2-minute PVT provided similar trend of deterioration as the standard 10-minute PVT across a night of sustained wakefulness.27 The mean response time during the test period was reported for each test in msec. All testing procedures took place in the morning between 0600–0800 hour and at least 24 hours after any structured exercise. RMR was measured via indirect calorimetry using a ventilated hood after an overnight fast of at least 10 hours. At baseline and post-intervention, body weights at two visits were averaged. If you’re feeling the fogginess of daytime fatigue and need extra energy to get through your day, skip the sugary snacks, and incorporate some of the best foods for sleep into your diet plan. The first detailed laboratory study that examined the effects of recurrent partial sleep deprivation on glucose metabolism involved healthy young men who were subjected to 6 nights of 4 hours in bed (“sleep debt”) followed by 7 nights of 12 hours in bed (“sleep recovery”).21 The subjects ate identical carbohydrate-rich meals and were at continuous bed rest on the last two days of each condition. Today, more people are looking for science-informed weight loss support supplements that work alongside healthy habits like balanced nutrition, movement, hydration, and sleep. Aiming for the recommended 7-9 hours of quality sleep supports a healthy metabolism, reduces appetite, and facilitates weight management. You may burn more calories being awake and active compared to being asleep, but research still shows you’re more likely to consume more calories than you burn by staying awake longer. Below, we’ll explain the connection between sleep and weight loss, and how you can improve your sleep to maximize your weight loss. Get your sleep and sleep timing right and you can maximize your weight loss efforts and make weight management much easier. Not getting enough sleep can mess with your hunger hormones, your metabolism, and your fat loss. But the sleep and weight loss connection goes deeper than that. While there are courses and apps designed to help improve your sleep, it’s worth starting with some basics. Sleeping less than the recommended amount is linked to a higher risk of developing obesity due to hormone dysregulation. Contact a doctor or registered dietitian if you want help identifying the best diet to meet your nutrition needs. Healthy Bedtime Snacks to Eat Before Sleep RMR was measured via indirect calorimetry using a ventilated hood after an overnight fast of at least 10 hours.Getting enough sleep could really help to tackle the obesity epidemic.The best way to save on Zepbound or Wegovy is to use your health insurance.Consider mindfulness techniques or journaling to alleviate stressors that may disrupt sleep.It is no secret that when you are tired you make poor food choices and workout less.If we keep to the same rough schedule then our body can be prepared, and we can really get the most out of our meal and sleep times.” ILI participants received a group behavioral weight loss program developed for individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes with the goal of at least a 10% weight loss in Year 1 (see online supplement) (17). Look AHEAD compared the long-term health effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) focused on weight loss versus diabetes support and education (DSE) (16–18). Sleep AHEAD was an ancillary study of Look AHEAD, a randomized controlled trial in adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity. Obesity is a major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, and weight loss reduces the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. Several prospective studies have examined the association between sleep duration or disturbance and the development of diabetes. There have been a few studies that examined cross-sectional associations between sleep and markers of diabetes risk or control. DI values of 2,000 and above are typical of subjects with normal glucose tolerance while DI values under 1,000 have been reported in populations at high risk for type 2 diabetes, such as Hispanic women with prior gestational diabetes.25 In the sleep debt condition, the DI was 40% lower than after sleep recovery and 3 of the 11 subjects had DI values under 1,000. Alterations evidenced during acute total sleep deprivation are readily corrected following sleep recovery and therefore the possibility that sleep loss may result in long-term adverse effects on glucose tolerance appeared unlikely. Lack of sleep disrupts hunger hormones, making you feel hungrier and crave unhealthy foods. When you sleep well, your body regulates hunger hormones and supports muscle recovery, making weight loss easier. Sleep helps regulate hunger hormones, boost metabolism, and improve energy levels, making it easier to lose weight. When discomfort is reduced, people are often more willing and able to move consistently, which supports calorie use, muscle maintenance, and metabolic health. "It's doing the things that we may have put off during our working years, and we're now healthy enough now to do." Longevity is about living a long, healthy, productive life doing the things that you want to do, Dr. Primack says. They're not approved and provided alone, but in addition to advice on dietary changes and regular exercise, Dr. Primack says. Sleep plays a crucial role in regulating metabolism and hormones that control hunger and fullness. Also, meal timing may change with sleep restriction which may have metabolic effects; however, we did not ask participants to record timing of each meal. However, self-reported dietary intake did not indicate different caloric intake between the two groups; the degree of caloric restriction may have limited our ability to detect small differences in caloric intake. The effects of sleep loss on appetite were most powerful in the late afternoon and early evening, times when snacking has been linked to weight gain. We can improve our health and quality of life by establishing regular sleep habits. But neglecting adequate sleep time can have significant consequences on overall health and well-being. Good sleep hygiene is extremely important for general health and quality of life. Establishing Healthy Sleep hygiene is a term used to describe healthy sleep habits. This means aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, establishing consistent sleep schedules, creating relaxing bedtime routines, and optimizing our sleep environments. To harness the power of sleep for weight loss, it’s essential to prioritize both the quantity and quality of our rest. While night sweats can lead to water weight loss, this is quickly regained upon rehydration and doesn’t contribute to fat loss. Some people believe that sweating during sleep contributes to weight loss. However, it needs to be combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise for effective weight loss.