Sleep More, Eat Less

I've spoken with a number of people this week who are experiencing sleep deprivation or fatigue. Lack of sleep is a huge factor in how our body gains, maintains or loses weight. The following letter is one that I often go back to when people aren't sleeping properly, and because of this, aren't seeing the scale move. - Dr. Doug

Sleep More, Eat Less

Midnight seems to come pretty fast when you're reading a good book, surfing the net, or just feeling restless. The last couple of weeks I found myself awake into the later hours of the evening...falling asleep towards 1 or 2am and then waking up early. At the end of the day I was getting home from work feeling completely ravenous…not just for dinner, but for chips, crackers, cereal and anything else I could grab in a hurry. I was experiencing more cravings, more hunger, and this overall ability to make really poor choices with food! Thinking back on this, I realized that although I was feeling hungry all the time, I was also feeling more exhausted, sluggish and moody at the end of the day. Sleep deprivation was definitely the catalyst.

While many of us perceive healthy eating and staying on track as a form of "willpower,” there are many physiological aspects as to why we eat, why we crave, and why we sometimes don't feel full. Adequate sleep plays a huge role!

If you're wondering why you're so hungry all the time, it could be because you're not getting enough sleep. There have been many studies performed regarding this correlation – French researchers allowed 12 healthy young lean men to sleep for either 4 or 8 hours in a lab. After one night of four hours sleep, the men ate 22% more calories the next day than they did after eight hours. They also reported being more hungry before breakfast and dinner.

In a separate study, Dutch scientists found that a single night with only 4 hours of sleep led to insulin resistance in nine healthy lean men and women in their 40s. After the night of restricted sleep, the participants were less able to move blood sugar into their cells, which suggests that their bodies were at least temporarily resistant to insulin. People with insulin resistance tend to gain more weight and hold on to more fat in their bodies than those without insulin resistance.

What to do: Get enough sleep – you'll notice a huge difference in your energy, mood and hunger! Most adults need 7 to 8 hours a night. (School-aged children need at least 9 hours.) Other studies that limit adults' sleep find higher levels of the hormone ghrelin (which makes people hungry) and lower levels of the hormone leptin (which makes people feel full) in their blood. Changes in ghrelin, leptin, and insulin resistance may explain why studies find a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure in people who get too little sleep.

Why do we lose sleep? For many of us, it becomes a habit. The evening (or any time before bed) is our downtime; our time to get things done; our time to think. For others, sleep can just be a very difficult thing to achieve due to stress, worry, anxiousness, shift work, and/or anything else leading to insomnia. Many of us feel that losing sleep is an inevitability; something we "just have to live with.” What, then, can we do to help ourselves feel more rested?

Climbing into bed earlier, making sure our bedroom is free of distractions (i.e. computer), and relaxation techniques can be helpful. If you're feeling overwhelmed by hunger and cravings, ask yourself if you're getting enough sleep. When you're tired, your body wants quick energy…quick energy comes from simple carbohydrates and sugar…so if you're craving sweets or other carbohydrates, your body is probably asking for an energy-boost.

Give yourself an energy-boost with more sleep, protein through the day, small bursts of activity/exercise and positive self-talk. All of these things will help you feel more in control of your eating and you will make healthier choices. Realize that if you have a lot of cravings and hunger, your body is probably trying to tell you something. While weight loss & maintenance is an incredibly emotional journey, it is also a physiological one. Day by day, meal by meal, snack by snack, remember that you can always get back on track no matter what happens and no matter how you feel.

You CAN do this – you deserve it. Don't ever give up!

Dr. Doug

Adapted from: The Nutrition Action Healthletter July/August 2010