Late night chats, parties, night-outs etc have become part of our lifestyle. This lifestyle seems so cool. But do you know that lack of sleep can lead to weight gain! This may sound weird to you, but it is the truth. Sleep and obesity are related to each other.
Researchers have proved that sleeping less at night may lead to rapid weight gain. In adults, sleeping less than five hours a night and children sleeping less than 10 hours a night are prone to gaining unhealthy weight. There was an experiment done on a group of people, which clearly proved that lack of sleep can cause weight gain. In that experiment, people who slept for only 5 hours at night gained 2 pounds in a week! Now you must be wondering, how is this possible? Well, read on to find the reason behind this.
Reasons Why Lack of Sleep Causes Weight Gain:
The reason why lack of sleep results in weight gain are as follows:
1. Hunger Pangs:
People who do not sleep properly at night are prone to eating less or no breakfast, while they tend to over indulge in calorie rich snacks. The more snacks you indulge in, the higher the calorie count your body consumes. This not only results in weight gain, but also makes your body tired and lethargic this is the reason why lack of sleep causes weight gain. In simple words, when you are awake at night, you feel hungry. You take out snacks like chips, biscuits, etc. from the cupboard and eat them till your stomach is full. This inappropriate habit of eating at night leads to weight gain.
2. Slow Metabolism:
Studies have proved that lack of sleep slows the process of metabolism in our body. As a result, the body tends to use less energy for simple and basic tasks like eating and breathing. It also slows the rate at which calories in our body are burned. As a result, the excess calories make a permanent place inside your body, leading to weight gain.
3. Eat Boredom:
This is another reason why you gain weight when you don’t sleep at night. People, who don’t sleep enough at night, often encounter fatigue or boredom. This increases craving for the foods that are high in calories and fat as they provide instant energy, which in turn leads to weight gain. Many people are seen munching chocolates, pastries and drinking soft drinks at night which are not low-calorie foods.
So, these were the three major reasons which proves that lack of sleep leads to weight gain. Another research has proved that having a good night’s sleep may help you in losing weight and staying fit.
You can simply sleep more in order to lose weight. Here are some of the ways which will help you sleep well to avoid weight gain:
Tips to Sleep Well:
- Eat the right food that will make it easier to fall asleep at night.
- Don’t eat heavy food after 7:00 P.M. You can have a light bed-time snack before falling asleep.
- Your night-time or bed-time snack should have complex carbs, calcium and protein.
- Eat fat-free and low-calorie food at night.
- Avoid eating high-protein meals during or close to bedtime.
- Do not eat or drink sleep busters close to bedtime.
- Re-schedule your working hours to avoid late-night working. If you work in night-shift, then follow these above mentioned tips during the day time sleep.
- Cold-drinks are bad, if consumed late-night.
- Listen to light music and read good books till you fall asleep.
- Comfortable bedding is very important for a sound sleep.
These were some of the most common ways to fall asleep and have a good night’s sleep. Now you know how harmful it is to stay awake late at night. I know chats, night-outs and parties are fun, but don’t let them effect your body. Afterall, there is no fun in being obese. I am implementing these rules from today and will change my sleeping schedule so that I don’t gain weight. What about you?
How many hours a night do you sleep? Do you think that’s enough? Do share your night time schedule with us in the comments section below.
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