Weight gain can be a symptom of a lot of different illnesses, but it can also increase the risk of others, which is one of the reasons doctors are so concerned about it. Sleep deprivation is a problem for many Americans nowadays, with more than 30 percent of adults reporting to the CDC that they do not get 8 hours of sleep a night. This could be the reason, or one of the reasons that you are gaining weight even if you are working to lose it.
Lack of Sleep Changes Food Cravings, Shopping Habits
When you don’t sleep well, you are more likely to crave carbs and fats, even when your body doesn’t actually need them for nutritional purposes. This is a similar effect that you would feel from smoking weed, which is jokingly called the munchies. It also makes you more likely to buy higher calorie foods than you normally would. This is detrimental to helping you keep a healthy diet by avoiding foods like these.
More Time Awake means More Likely to Overeat
This part is simple. The longer you are awake, the more calories you spend through simple things like breathing and walking around your house. This means that you are more likely to add a midnight snack to your daily routine or to eat more during your other meals. Eating late at night like this can also cause problems for you when you are trying to fall asleep.
Waistline Circumference Linked to Sleep Deprivation
Believe it or not, Just losing sleep on a regular basis has been linked to increased waist size by an inch. That study from the UK found that the more sleep you got, the more likely you were to be able to lose inches from your waist. Of course, adding exercise that targets your core muscles and waist will also help with that.
How Can You Avoid Sleep Deprivation?
Set Aside Time for Sleep
By setting a strict bedtime and wake-up time for yourself, you are Making sure that there is the time in your day for sleep. You can add a simple routine that takes care of your personal hygiene and helps you to relax before bed to help yourself get used to going to bed at the same time every night. This will help you to get a good night’s sleep.
Update Your Bedroom
If you don’t remember when the last time you purchased a new pillow or mattress for yourself was, it’s well past time to replace them. Pillows should be replaced every three years at the most to make sure they’re as supportive as they should be. Mattresses should be replaced every 6 to 10 years.
Avoid Heavy Exercise Before Bed
If you are exercising to try and strengthen your body or to lose weight, you’ll want to keep your heavy exercise to the mornings or afternoons, not the last few hours before bed. The reason for this is so that it doesn’t get your adrenaline and heart racing right before you go to bed. Instead, try doing yoga or light exercise before bed to help yourself relax.