In addition to exercise and diet, sleep also influences your figure. Lack of sleep increases, among other things, the risk of being overweight. But how long should you actually sleep to lose weight?
When it comes to losing weight, most people pay particular attention to the combination of exercise and a healthy diet. That is of course true – but one should not ignore another important component.
Good sleep is also crucial for the processes in the body – the organism regenerates during the night. A good night’s sleep can also support fat loss.
Losing weight: This is why good sleep is so important
After a good night’s sleep, you’ll feel rested the next morning, which optimizes brain performance and improves emotional well-being and physical health.
While you sleep, the brain forms new connections, which benefits memory and creativity.
But sleep also repairs the heart and blood vessels. A deficiency can therefore lead to heart and kidney diseases and high blood pressure.
When you sleep, your body regulates your hormones
Sleeping at night also helps balance hormones. This is especially true for the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which control hunger and the feeling of satiety.
If you don’t sleep enough, ghrelin levels rise while leptin levels fall. This causes you to feel hungrier the next day, causing you to eat more than you actually need.
Growth hormone, which stimulates muscle growth, is also produced during sleep. This process is important not only for people who want to build muscle mass.
It promotes growth in childhood and helps maintain healthy body tissue and muscle mass in adulthood.
How long should you sleep to lose weight?
Experts recommend getting around seven to nine hours of sleep every night.
This period of time is crucial in order to avoid tiredness during the day, which can otherwise quickly lead to a lack of exercise and a lack of motivation.
A restful sleep can also prevent you from having to take power naps throughout the day, which can disrupt your circadian rhythm and negatively impact the release of important hormones. Keyword: cravings.
Simple tips: How to improve your sleep
To improve the quality of your sleep, you should get into the habit of a fixed bedtime routine. Ventilate the bedroom well. Make sure not to consume caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Avoid excessively fatty food and alcohol.