When we talk about weight management or the battle against obesity, we mainly focus on the two pillars: diet and exercise. We carefully count calories, track what we eat, hit the gym, or try to walk more. Yet, for many people, the weight scale stubbornly refuses to budge, or the weight just comes back.
But what if there’s a crucial, and often overlooked, third pillar that’s silently destroying your efforts? That third pillar is sleep. Sleep is a powerful, active process that affects almost every part of your physical and mental health, including your weight.
For a long time, people haven’t paid enough attention to how sleep could be the missing piece in obesity management in Jacksonville. To learn more about the importance of sleep, keep reading the blog.
How Can Sleep Affect Weight Management?
Based on the National Sleep Foundation survey, an adult is required to sleep for 7 to 9 hours every night. However, due to growing work and social demands, along with increased screen time, the average sleep has reduced from about 9 hours in the past to just 7 hours today.
Sleep deprivation is becoming common since many adults, and even more children, only gets 5 to 6 hours sleep even on weekdays. This is a major issue. Insufficient sleep can make it harder to manage weight by:
Create Hormonal Imbalance: When you don’t sleep enough, your body makes more ghrelin (which makes you feel hungry) and less leptin (which tells you when you’re full). As a result, when you’re sleep deprived, you feel hungrier and less satisfied after eating. This imbalance makes you feel hungrier, even if you’ve eaten enough.
Increase Appetite and Cravings: Tired brains often look for quick energy. As a result, you’re more likely to crave high-sugar and junk food, which can lead to overeating and weight gain.
Lower Energy Leads to Less Physical Activity, Hence Less Calories are Burnt: When you’re low on sleep, your energy drops. You’re more likely to skip workouts, feel sluggish, and avoid simple daily activities like walking or taking the stairs, all of which lower the number of calories you burn.
Poor Food Choices: Lack of sleep affects your ability to think clearly and make healthy choices. You’re more likely to go for fast, easy options like processed or greasy food, rather than preparing a balanced, nutritious meal.
How to Sleep Better and Help Your Body?
To stay disciplined and stick to your health sleep plan, you don’t need any fancy tricks. All you have to do is just focus on good habits:
- Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
- Make Your Bedroom Comfortable: You can keep your room dark, quiet, and cool. Also, you can use blackout curtains, an eye mask, earplugs, or a white noise machine.
- Avoid Screens Before Bed: Phones, tablets, and TVs give off light that can mess with your sleep. Try not to use them an hour before bedtime.
- Have a Relaxing Routine: Take a warm shower, read a book, stretch, or do something calming before bed.
- Exercise During the Day: Being active helps you sleep better. Just don’t exercise too late at night.
- Talk to a Doctor: If you’re having trouble sleeping, like snoring or waking up often, it could be linked to your weight. A doctor can guide you with better sleep and also help with overweight treatment in Jacksonville if needed.
Conclusion
Losing weight and staying healthy isn’t just about what you eat or how much you exercise. Sleep is just as important. When you sleep well, your body can balance your hunger, use energy better, and make smarter food choices.
By making sleep a priority, you can give yourself a better chance at reaching your weight goals and feeling your best every day.
