How you can lose weight by gaining sleep

Better sleep and a healthier weight go hand in hand. After a good night's rest, you'll feel a boost in your energy levels which means you’re more likely to exercise and be far more motivated to stick to healthy eating. 

Getting high quality sleep could go a long way towards managing weight issues too.¹

How can sleep affect body weight?

Every week, there’s a new fad diet or vaguely plausible scientific program offering that perfect, quick fix to lose the extra kilos we may be carrying around.

Unfortunately, living in today's busy world can make it difficult to eat healthy food and find enough time to exercise. But while regular exercise and a nutritious diet are obvious ways to get into shape and improve overall health, did you know that high quality sleep might provide the boost you need to better manage your weight?

How sleep boosts your energy level

Quality sleep has a flow-on effect through the day.

After a good night's rest, you'll get a boost in energy compared to days when you’re sleep deprived. As a result, you’re likely to exercise more vigorously and be far more motivated to stick to healthy eating, because being disciplined is far easier when you’re feeling refreshed compared to when you’re tired.

Poor sleep slows your metabolism

Studies have found that even a single poor night's sleep can slow your metabolism and at the same time, increase your appetite,² thus having a two-fold effect. When your metabolism is impaired, your body doesn’t effectively process the energy from food, and that’s compounded by the fact that your increased appetite encourages you to overeat. The end result is a good likelihood of gaining weight. 

Don't just count kilojoules — count sheep too!

A study by researchers at Otago University a few years ago concluded that lack of sleep is the main cause of obesity in children.³ It's not hard to imagine this having a flow on effect into adulthood, which means it's time we all started getting adequate sleep each night to avoid these risks.

Establishing good sleeping and eating habits and staying in shape can be a difficult and daunting task, so here are some pointers:

1. Start by keeping track of your sleep schedule. Are you getting the necessary 7 hours? If you feel you’re still lethargic even with 7 hours, you may need more sleep, or better quality sleep.
2. Exercise consistently. Even if it's a quick walk around the block, activity can help to increase the quality of your sleep.
3. Make healthy choices when it comes to your meals. By maintaining a balanced diet, you'll give yourself more energy, in turn making it easier to exercise and, eventually, have that good night's sleep you truly need.

8 ways to improve your sleep

So, how do you get the right amount of high quality sleep each night to prevent unhealthy weight gain? Well, you can start by downloading our free eBook, 8 Ways To Sleep Better Tonight, which explains the 8 best ways to improve your sleep in order to keep your energy levels high and your metabolism strong every day.

How a sleep assessment can help you

If your sleep refuses to improve, you may have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. Being overweight is a risk factor for sleep apnea and it can cause poor quality sleep which may create a vicious cycle, by further increasing your weight. 

You can do a simple free sleep assessment to discover if you’re at risk.