The Connection Between Sleep and Healthy Weight

It’s more than likely something that you overlooked and yet the connection between sleep and healthy weight is so very real. Though this is not a connection that many of us tend to make, it’s essential as part of a healthy lifestyle. We know how we feel when a good night of sleep has evaded us, and that can contribute to really poor habits in the long term.

When You Don’t Get the Rest You Need, Your Weight Can Suffer

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body and your mind suffer. You may feel sluggish, lack energy, and just have a difficult time in coping in general. So it only makes sense that sleep is essential for weight loss and a better lifestyle as well.

When you consider the connection between sleep and healthy weight, there are a variety reasons for this link. First and foremost sleep is the time that your body has to recover. This recovery applies to the mind, muscles, heart, digestive system and hormone balance.  There’s a lot going on in your body, and it all relies on adequate sleep to function properly.

Without this time then the body can’t rebuild muscle, can’t allow the organs to recover from the day and prepare for the next, and your whole system is out of whack. So internally there is almost an error of sorts when you don’t sleep enough. This can very easily carry over into your metabolism, for when you don’t get enough rest then it can slow down your metabolism and really interfere with your ability to lose the weight and keep it off.

Moreover, when you’re tired, you crave foods you simply don’t need.  This primarily refers to fatty and sugary foods.  After all, if you’re not getting your energy from adequate rest, then you need to get it somewhere.  So your body sends out signals to take in added calories.  This alone demonstrates a tremendous link between sleep and healthy weight.  If you’re not sleeping, you naturally want to eat too much!

Sleep Is Essential for So Many Things In a Balanced Lifestyle

Another reason that there is such a connection between sleep and healthy weight is that your willpower is diminished. When you get a good night of sleep you feel ready to take on the world. You can deal with whatever comes your way, and you can easily work to make good choices throughout your day.

When you don’t get that necessary sleep then you are much less focused and therefore much more likely to give into temptations that you encounter. You make poor choices, you eat the wrong foods, and you are also much more likely to skip out on exercise. The possibilities are endless of what you will do wrong when you are not properly rested.

This doesn’t just happen when you’re exhausted.  Yes, it’s most intense and obvious when you’ve barely had any rest during the night. But the link between sleep and healthy weight is deeper than that.  Just a touch of fatigue can deplete your resistance to poor food choices.  You’ll pay just slightly less attention, care just a little less and eat just a little more. Or, you’ll choose that comfort food since you’re just not feeling like you’re at your best.

It’s true that you’re most likely to make damaging decisions when you’ve only had a couple of hours of broken sleep.  However, if you’re short by an hour or two per night, the impact is still there, it’s just not as easy to see.  That’s where the sleep and healthy weight connection can become difficult for you to identify in yourself.  You’re gradually adding pounds. It feels like it’s a matter of willpower.  It’s not just that. It’s that your hormones, metabolism and body composition are working against you from the lack of rest.

Look at How Sleep and Healthy Weight Link in Your Life

Adding to the connection between sleep and healthy weight is that this is all part of an overall lifestyle. A good truly healthy and balanced lifestyle incorporates proper nutrition, eating the right way, exercising regularly, managing your stress properly, and of course getting plenty of rest. When one of these elements is off in any way, then you end up cutting yourself short. You may lose weight, but it won’t stay off for the long term. You need each of these elements to be working together in perfect harmony in order for it to work, so think of the big picture and you will enjoy better results.

Eating well and exercising adequately can help you to rest better at night.  When you get more sleep, you’re more likely to find it easier to keep up with the activities that lead to healthy weight. They’re all connected.  Focus on completing your healthful lifestyle and each component will support the rest.