Sleep or lack of is one of the most underrated areas of focus when it comes to fat loss and it can have detrimental effects both physiologically and psychologically if it’s not dealt with. Sleep requirements for the average adult is approximately 8 hours which is generally under achieved and when fat loss is concerned getting less than 8 hours’ sleep can play havoc on you maximizing your results.
Although creating an energy deficit is essential for fat loss either via reducing calorie intake or increasing daily energy expenditure. Creating an optimal environment for this to happen is going to increase your chances of success and make the journey far more enjoyable.
It is during sleep when the body recovers and repairs, this is essential for not only fat loss but to continue to progress within your training and exercise.
There are multiple Influencing factors that affect your sleep; irregular shift work, artificial light, caffeine, late night screen time (mobiles/laptops) and jet lag. You also have the more common factors such as high stress, anxiety and young children.
Let’s take a look at how poor sleep quantity and quality can impact your body and your ability to potentially drop body fat.
One study carried out by Nedeltcheva et al., (2010) showed that those who were on the same calorie restricted diet lost more body fat with 8.5 hours sleep when compared to those who had 5.5 hours sleep. Sleep deprivation has been shown to lower leptin (an appetite-suppressing hormone produced by fat cells, which is normally produced in abundance at night) and increase ghrelin, (a hormone released by the stomach that stimulates hunger, which is also secreted at night but normally in lesser amounts).
Spiegel et al., (2004) carried out a study which involved groups who had 4 hours of sleep and 10 hours of sleep with calorie intake kept constant in both groups. The results of this study showed that leptin levels were 18% lower and ghrelin levels 28% higher in those who only slept for 4 hours.
So as you can see from the above studies that a lack of sleep can impact your hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin, which will automatically put you on the back foot from the moment you wake up with increased hunger. Not ideal for someone who is already in an energy deficit. In Nedeltcheva’s study on sleep deprivation they also found that participants increased consumption of calories from snacks, while energy expenditure remained unchanged with sleep restriction.
Often this additional snacking goes unnoticed when you are sleep deprived and when you are dieting and trying to lose body fat it takes a lot of willpower and mental focus to resist temptation on a good day, let alone off of less than 5 hours of broken sleep. So maximising on which may seem like insignificant areas such as your sleep can help keep you in the right mindset to achieve great results.
Now it is never as easy as just saying go to bed earlier and actually there is a lot more prep work that needs to be done to help get both the amount of sleep and the quality of deep sleep you need. I have created a list below of some of things you can do to help prepare yourself for a great night of sleep:
Set a reminder to start winding down, to ensure you are in bed ready for that 7-8 hours.
Create a dark and relaxing environment and build a routine.
Ensure you do not bring your work and technology to bed (mobile, laptop ect).
Avoid consuming any caffeine or stimulant up to 6 hours prior to bed.
Get as much sun exposure as possible in the morning.
I have also found through personal experience that using a diary, specifically pen and paper to write down your thoughts before bed helps to create the calm you need to fall into a deep sleep. I call this the brain dump where I write down all of my next day tasks and concerns so that I am not lying in bed thinking about them.
If all of the above are in place and you are still struggling, then below is a list of supplementation which can help improve sleep quality and prepare you for a better sleep:
5 HTP – derived from the amino acid L-Tryptopahn and can cross the blood brain barrier and help increase serotonin in the brain, serotonin is a neurotransmitter which is important for regulating your sleep cycle.
Melatonin – is a naturally occurring hormone which plays a big role in regulating your circadian rhythm and is a great supplement for those who travel a lot and suffer from jet lag which can interfere with their circadian rhythm and natural sleeping patterns.
Magnesium – is a mineral which is important in hundreds of different processes within the human body, it can also help relax the muscles and put you in a more relaxed state prior to bed.
So if you are dragging your feet along the floor, struggling for motivation and keeping your hands out of the snack cupboards, then you are likely suffering from a lack of sleep. Before you jump to conclusions, cut out more calories or increase cardio, look at your bedtime routine and see if you can gain 1-2 hours of extra sleep and I guarantee you that this will have a positive impact on your fat loss progress.
