How sleep affects your weight: Something you probably never consider
How sleep affects human nutrition (photo: Freepik)
Sleep has a huge impact on a person's weight and diet. Lack of sleep can lead to strong cravings for unhealthy food and even problems with thinking, according to Ukrainian fitness trainer and nutritionist Viktor Mandziak.
Consequences of sleep deprivation
According to the expert, scientific data shows that when a person doesn't get enough sleep, the level of hunger hormone increases in their blood, and the level of satiety hormone decreases, which leads to increased eating behavior. When sleep-deprived, there is a stronger craving for calorie-dense food, and control over behavior is lost.
Lack of sleep is like stress on a physiological level. In this state, people find it hard to think properly and become impulsive.
As a result, increased hunger arises, and the cortisol level in the blood rises, negatively impacting muscles.
What's more important: Number of sleep hours or time when we go to bed and wake up?
Viktor Mandziak explained that the most important factor is the sleep routine. An adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep, and children need a bit more.
It's important to go to bed at the same time so that the brain adjusts to it.
"We will get those 7-8 hours because of a reflex reaction. The hour has arrived, enough sleepiness molecules have accumulated in the brain, and we fall asleep," the expert explained.
How to get enough sleep
It's best to sleep in a cool place, in silence, and in the dark. Before sleep, it's necessary to avoid emotional events and strong positive emotions because any excitement prevents falling asleep.
"If you get into bed and can't fall asleep for about 20 minutes, don't toss and turn, don't torture yourself, because your brain will start associating the bed with stress. When I get into bed and can't fall asleep, I open a book, read for about 20 minutes, feel tired, close the book, and go to sleep," the fitness trainer explained.
Furthermore, if a person works a night shift, they should still get their eight hours of sleep per day. Consuming the required number of calories and food per day is also necessary. Essentially, nothing changes, one just needs to adapt to a different schedule.
Read also about six ways to help you wake up as early as possible in the morning.
Earlier, we talked about the spoon test that will determine if you're getting enough sleep.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
