Did you know that if you sleep less than 5 hours of sleep a night, you have a 50% increased risk of obesity? Research suggests that not getting enough sleep can prevent you from losing 55% of fat and losing 60% of good, lean tissue.
It is because of two important hormones in your body, ghrelin (stimulates appetite) and leptin (decreases appetite) that work together to support energy balance and weight management. When you are sleep-deprived, the level of ghrelin spikes and the level of leptin falls, leading to an increase in hunger. Your body thinks it is starving, needs more calories and you start craving sugar and salt, which result in you consuming more food (almost 400 more calories per day).
When you sleep, the level of the leptin hormone increases and provide signals to your brain that you have plenty of energy for the time being and there’s no need to trigger the feeling of hunger or the burning of calories. The role of leptin is to maintain the energy balance of our body by regulating the food we intake. When your body gets good sleep (called REM), it can repair itself and reduce inflammation from the day and also breakdown food properly to generate energy and build muscle.
Synchronous Health therapist, Miriam Jameson notes, “Quality sleep and nutrition are staples for a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The better we eat (whole, unprocessed foods), the better we sleep. The better we sleep (quality), the more easily we make conscious food choices.”
There are lots of things that can contribute to better sleep hygiene such as stretching/breathing/relaxing exercises, limiting activity on phone/media prior to bedtime, and developing a sleep schedule, but don’t forget about the dietary aspect of your sleep.
What are some healthy ways you can promote better sleep with your diet?
Eat more fiber.
Eat less sugar (and when you do eat sugar, make sure it’s natural and not processed)
Eat more protein.
Eat well sourced foods (natural, not processed wherever possible).
Be mindful of when you eat and drink (not too close to bedtime).
To learn more and register, call 844-242-3364.
Sources below: Sleep Review; National Library of Medicine; Johns Hopkins;
