Sleep and Weight Loss: Very Important

Sleep and weight loss are very closely related.

If you don't get enough sleep, you will likely struggle to lose weight. Which means you can be doing everything else right (dieting, exercise, calorie deficit, etc.) but still not lose weight.

But why is this? There are several reasons why getting enough sleep is important when trying to lose weight.

How Sleep and Weight Loss Works

Let's talk about how sleep helps you lose weight.

When you sleep, your body burns fat and processes the food that was in your stomach before going to bed. So if you don't get enough sleep, you are depriving your body of the time it needs to burn fat.

Another way to think of sleep is like a daily fasting session. For most people, sleep is the only time they go a significant period of time without eating, drinking, or snacking. That's why we call our morning meal breakfast.

So when you get a good night's sleep (between 7 and 9 hours for most people), your body is fasting. And fasting is very important for sleep and weight loss.

But there is one other very important aspect to losing weight in your sleep: being in a calorie deficit. If you are not in a calorie deficit phase, your body won't lose weight when you go to sleep. Instead, your body will store the excess calories as fat.

Can I Lose Weight If I Don't Get Enough Sleep?

While it is possible to lose weight when you are sleep deprived, it will take much longer. This means you will need to diet and remain in a calorie deficit phase longer that if you were getting enough sleep.

That statement alone should make you a believer in the importance of sleep!

Since sleep and weight loss are so closely related, it's no wonder that so many people struggle to lose weight. Not getting enough sleep is like leaving out a vital ingredient of the weight loss recipe. And lots of people don't know this.

In fact, sleep is one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of losing weight.

But that's not all. Another thing to keep in mind is that not getting enough sleep can increase your stress levels. Stress and weight loss are directly related, so this can have a compound effect on your inability to lose weight.

Now that you understand how important sleep is, let's look at how much sleep you need to lose weight.

How Much Sleep Do I Need to Lose Weight?

Most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night to lose weight.

This also happens to be the amount of sleep most people need to operate at their ideal mental and physical capacity.

But everyone is different, so your individual makeup will determine your optimum amount of sleep.

And while we've all heard stories of people who only need four or five hours of sleep, these people are the exception. Someone would also be likely to struggle with losing weight at these sleep levels.

It's also true that some people sleep less as they get older. So your age could have an impact on how much sleep you need. Which means your body's ideal amount of sleep may change over time.

Another thing to keep in mind is the quality of your sleep, which we'll discuss in the next section. This is also very important, and making sure you get enough high-quality sleep should be a top priority.

So when it comes to sleep and weight loss, we highly recommend trying to get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.

Quality Matters: Sleep and Weight Loss

Does the quality of sleep impact your ability to lose weight? Absolutely!

You need to achieve REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep to maximize the benefit of your sleep from a weight loss perspective.

REM sleep is the deepest form of sleep there is. And it is also the level of sleep when your body will be most effective at burning fat.

Many people don't get quality sleep. This is because they either don't sleep long enough, or because other things prevent them from achieving a sufficient amount of REM sleep.

This could be because of things that wake them up: like pets, kids, other people, loud vehicles, or needing to use the bathroom. Some of these things are out of your control, while others can be easily fixed.

So we strongly encourage you to do everything possible to improve the quality of your sleep. Doing so will have a direct impact on both your sleep and weight loss.

Sleep Consistency is Also Important

By now you know that sleep and weight loss go hand-in-hand. You also understand that the quality of sleep is important. But that still leaves one very important detail: consistency.

It is very important to get a consistent amount of sleep each night.

This means you should try to sleep the same number of hours every night whenever possible. And the number of hours should match the number of hours that allow you to operate at peak performance.

For example, let's say that you feel great after sleeping 8 hours. Then your goal should be to sleep at least 8 hours each night.

So what if you get 8 hours of quality sleep one night, but only 5 hours the next night? This will likely have a negative impact on your weight loss.

Which brings us to another important topic: "catching up on sleep".

Is it possible to undo the effects of a poor night's sleep by sleeping a few extra hours the next night?

You might feel better after the extra hours of sleep, but you won't burn enough extra calories to make up for the previous day. So be sure to get a full night's sleep whenever possible.

Now let's talk about the second half of sleep-consistency: your sleep schedule. 

What's Your Sleep Schedule?

Do you go to bed at the same time each night? Or does it depend on which TV show you decide to watch? Or what's happening on social media?

Getting on a good sleep schedule, also known as a sleep pattern, can help you lose weight faster. Here's why...

Your body has an internal clock. And this internal clock regulates many of your body's systems, including the digestive system.

So your body needs a consistent sleep schedule to operate at top performance.

But that's not all. Your brain regulates your internal clock and these same systems. Which means if you aren't going to sleep at a consistent time, your internal clock gets thrown off.

That's why getting on a consistent sleep schedule (both time of day and number of hours) can have a dramatic effect on your weight loss results!

Look, we know that you have a life. That means you won't get to sleep the optimal number of hours each night. And you won't get to bed at the same time every night.

But the more consistent you can be with both of these things, the better your weight loss results will be.

Why People Struggle to Get Enough Sleep

There are lots of reasons people struggle to get enough sleep. And these reasons impact their sleep and weight loss efforts.

We mentioned a few common reasons in the previous section. But let's take a closer look at what might be interfering with your sleep and weight loss:

• You are stressed and thinking about things that make it hard to go to sleep.
• Watching TV in bed or using your smart phone is something you do before going to sleep
• Social media or reading the news is how you 'wind down'.
• Your work schedule and sleep schedule are at odds.
• Environmental factors that are out of your control (like noise) prevent you from getting to sleep, or reaching deep REM sleep.
• You share a bed with someone who snores or moves around in their sleep.
• Hunger is an issue due to your diet or calorie deficit. (This is temporary.)

Obviously the list could go on and on. But hopefully these things will help you pinpoint possible things that are making it difficult for you to fall asleep.

And naturally you don't want to just identify what's keeping you awake; you want to fix the issue. So let's talk about possible solutions to these problems!

Sleep and Weight Loss Tips

By now you understand how sleep and weight loss are linked. And you understand how important it is to get enough sleep.

But what can you do if you're struggling to get enough sleep each night?

How to Improve Your Sleep

Here are several things that can improve your sleep and weight loss:

• Avoid screens before going to bed. This includes TV, smartphone, tablets, etc. 
• Turn down your display brightness to the minimum setting if you must use it.
• Get blue-blocker glasses. Blue-blocker glasses block out some of the blue spectrum of light that is emitted from TV and smartphone screens. Eliminating the blue light will reduce eye strain and help you get to sleep faster.
• Avoid sleeping with pets. Pets have a tendency to wake us up at night. We know you love your fur-babies, but try putting them in their own space at night. They will be even happier to see you in the morning!
• Try not to drink too many liquids before going to bed. This will help you avoid waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, which interrupts your deep REM sleep.
• Avoid eating big meals or snacking before bedtime.
• Use noice-canceling headphones to cut out excess noise.
• Silence your devices, or even better, turn them off. If you need to use your device as an alarm clock, adjust the settings to silence incoming calls, texts, and app notifications during your sleeping hours.
• Get on a regular sleep schedule. This means starting to unwind at the same time each night. It also means getting to sleep and waking up at consistent times.
• Consider replacing TV with reading a book before going to bed. Yes we know it's more fun to watch your favorite shows, but doing so keeps your mind active. And this makes quality sleep elusive.
• Avoid thinking about stressful things or having emotionally draining conversations before going to bed.

Little changes add up, and you could significantly increase the quality and amount of your sleep by using the tips listed above.

Noticing Weight Loss After Sleep

You probably already know that losing weight is a gradual process. But is some regards, it really does happen overnight. (But slowly!)

If you are a regular reader, you've probably noticed that we're very fond of mentioning how everyone's body is different when it comes to weight loss.

However, if you start paying close attention to your eating and sleep patterns, you'll probably start noticing how sleep and weight loss are related.

In fact, if you go to bed somewhat hungry due to your calorie deficit, you'll probably notice a slight difference when you get on the scale the next morning.

This is due to two main factors. First, if you were in a calorie deficit before going to sleep, you really did lose weight in your sleep. Fat was burned.

Second, if you got a full night's sleep, your body consumed water while you were sleeping. So you're a little dehydrated when you wake up, and probably thirsty.

Although you'll put the water weight back on as soon as you rehydrate, the weight you lost will stay off if you continue to maintain your calorie deficit.

Lastly, there is one main exception to the above. Water retention that is caused by eating certain foods like pasta and rice can impact the numbers you see on the scale. So be sure to read the article linked above, and be mindful of this effect.