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Health & Wellness Articles  ›  Rest & Relaxation

Insomnia Can Hinder Your Weight Loss

Sleepless Nights Stop Progress

-- By Laura Bofinger, Staff Writer
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So you already know that a well-balanced diet and a regular exercise program are keys to your weight loss plan. But are you listening to that other recommendation you’ve heard more than once in your life? Get plenty of sleep. Recent medical studies show that sleep loss can increase hunger and affect your body’s metabolism in a way that makes weight loss more difficult. So if you’re making a good effort in your nutrition and fitness plans, you still might be able to improve your success with better sleep.

How Sleep Loss Affects Weight Loss
  1. Hormone function affects the way fat cells respond to the food we eat. Cortisol is a hormone that is commonly released in response to physical or emotional stress. When we are deprived of sleep, cortisol is released at an increased level and makes us feel hungry even if we are full. As a result, people who continue to lose sleep on a regular basis will tend to experience hunger even when they have had an adequate amount of food.
  2. Sleep loss results in less deep sleep, the kind that restores our energy levels. Losing deep sleep hours decreases growth hormone levels. Growth hormone is a protein that helps regulate the body’s proportions of fat and muscle in adults. With less growth hormone, we reduce the ability to lose fat and grow muscle.
  3. With a loss of sleep, your body may not be able to metabolize carbohydrates as well, which leads to an increased storage of fats and higher levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means that the body has trouble disposing of glucose in the liver and other tissues. It is a trigger for serious health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes.
  4. A lack of sleep goes hand in hand with a lack of energy – not a new concept, but perhaps you’ve grown used to your daily levels of energy and don’t notice that you could gain more. Not only do we accomplish less with less sleep, we also don’t burn as many calories. The body’s reaction is to hoard calories as fat, making our weight loss goals more difficult than they need to be. Sleep is starting to sound pretty important now, isn’t it?
Why Are You Losing Sleep and What Can You Do About It?

Don’t add this information about sleep and weight loss as a stress factor in your life. Take charge and examine why you are losing sleep so that you can do something about it.

Some people choose to live with fewer sleeping hours simply because they think they can stretch more hours of activity in their day. If this is you, remember that a better night’s sleep may actually increase your productivity in a shorter amount of time throughout your day because you have more energy and can think more clearly than when you are tired. For others, sleep loss is a result of already being overweight, which has brought on sleep apnea, lower back pain, or depression and anxiety. There are many management options for such problems, some of which might require medical attention. Check out the following tips first. They are simple enough for anyone to try to help themselves improve their sleep.

Do’s
  • Eat a healthy diet. A good SparkPeople reference is right here.
  • Establish a regular exercise routine of 3-4 times per week, and do it well before bedtime.
  • Try pre-bedtime rituals that relax you – warm baths, light reading, listening to calming music or recorded nature sounds.
  • Create a peaceful sleep environment. Adjust the darkness to what works best for you. Make sure the temperature of the room is set to your comfort level.
  • Give yourself sleep hours instead of trying to squeeze more activity into one day. Adequate sleeping hours will increase your productivity during waking hours.
Don’ts
  • Don’t go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal right before bedtime. Eating high protein food close to bedtime makes your body think it should be active and therefore keeps you awake.
  • Don’t nap in the daytime if you have sleeping problems at night.
  • Don’t take in caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol from the late afternoon and beyond.
  • Don’t lie in bed agitated if you can’t sleep. After a half hour, move to a different room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy again.
Realize that you need to listen to your body in determining how much sleep is right for you. Too much sleep can be just as unhealthy as too little sleep. Recognize that the sleep you get each night is just as important as the choices you make in eating and exercising as you achieve your weight loss goals.
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About The Author

Laura Bofinger Laura Bofinger
As a freelance writer, Laura uncovers some kind of inspiration every day when she writes about health and fitness.

Member Comments

  • TWIGGY2009
    Working steady midnights like I have for the past 12 years has not helped me in any way! My weight has plummeted over 50 lbs, I have no energy no friends no relationships no natural enjoyment for anything! Nothing to make me feeling like I have something wonderful here and now! I have researched what happens to your body when working all night. Your metabolism slows down even though you are physically active. But the expert advice still has you eating 5 meals a day?So having said all that the thing is quit my job join weight watchers start an exercise program move to a healthier living enviroment and win the lottery! - 1/29/2013 5:40:01 PM
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  • TURK2010
    i enjoy reading before bedtime but on some days when i'm wired up and have too much going on......reading aloud gets me tired and able to sleep more soundly just like when i was a kid:) - 1/28/2013 7:00:25 AM
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  • DONNAKOVAC
    Reading this at 2:44 am - because I can't sleep. :p I fall asleep, usually very well, very quickly but I need to get up for the washroom almost every morning around 2 or 3 am. I have very few nights when I can actually sleep all the way through. Also, after getting back to bed, my tooth or teeth started hurting, so I got back up to brush my teeth again. Back to bed, still can't sleep, so now I'm here. My husband and I both also being out of work, the temp agency called a few times the last week or so for me to work night shift after being awake since 2 or 3 am each day - I'm going to practice split shift so that I can work any shift. I'm so tired, I'll be going back to bed soon. - 1/28/2013 2:48:58 AM
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  • KUTEY5041
    I have a terrible problem going to sleep at night. I have tried all of these steps but still cannot get to sleep at night - 1/28/2013 1:53:48 AM
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  • RDAROVIC
    Thank you for this article. I believe that insomnia is the main root of my obesity. Full disclosure: what I put in my mouth is the cause of my obesity. BUT why I overate/eat is another story. From the time my one and only child was born, when I was 34 yo, I slept poorly. Nothing new there but my sleep problems persisted after my child was not a baby. (he had some problems with school which kept me awake but not him. I feel like I attended 4th thru 8th grade twice - once for myself and once with him!) Worrying about kids keep many mothers awake and then comes menopause. I slept about 25 hours a week during mp. Finally my dr. found something to help me but it was a long sleepless haul for me. By the time I started sleeping again I was 100 lbs. overweight. I sleep now but the damage has been done. Get help early, keep searching for it until you sleep and BTW the kids will be fine.
    - 1/27/2013 8:00:19 AM
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  • GEORGINA143
    I think this is a good point "a better night’s sleep may actually increase your productivity in a shorter amount of time throughout your day because you have more energy and can think more clearly than when you are tired". I actually have a hard time sleeping in most days but little sleep makes me tired and makes me unproductive during the hours that I should be. Getting an 8 hour sleep is one of the things I've learned when my friend came out of fitness boot camp here: http://www.reviva
    lbootcamp.com/ - 11/7/2012 10:42:34 PM
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  • BUCK15
    I recently started working nights 4 days a week and have a young son. My husband is supportive, but it is difficult to get good, sound sleep during the day. Any other "shift workers" out there with some good advice for managing an unconventional schedule? - 9/9/2012 9:50:44 PM
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  • COUNTY4
    I try to get the sleep I need but working two jobs and going to school in addition to taking care of my family doesn't leave me much time. It's usually the weekendwhwen I'm home from both places that I can get a little rest. Is there a way to get the sleep I need and maintan my current pace. - 9/8/2012 7:04:44 AM
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  • 1935MARY
    Ihave already have sleep apnea and don't use my cpap all the time . I do get more sleep with it. If I don't use it I wake up about every hour. Broken sleep makes you feel like you haven't slept at all. - 9/4/2012 1:16:38 PM
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  • K_RENEE
    Aww. Reading this article makes me sad! I am suffering from a terrible bout of insomnia (this happened to me about 5 years ago and lasted a little over 2 years) and I don't know what to do to make it better. I don't want this to hinder my progress. - 10/29/2011 3:59:14 PM
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  • SALTYCHOCOLATE
    I just re-read this article. There is a lot of great information here. But most of all, I really appreciate Spark People's stance on the GI Diet. - 8/17/2011 8:22:33 AM
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  • MARISERV
    Very interesting article. I will be looking at my sleep habits very closely now. - 8/17/2011 7:34:22 AM
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  • MPHOLLINS
    I am exhausted almost everyday and I get 4 to 5 hours sleep per day. I watch calories and exercise and my weight stays the same, but with my busy schedule I need more than 6 hours of sleep to feel rested. So I don't have any clue what I need to change in order to feel rested and energetic - 8/17/2011 4:50:54 AM
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  • KARATE_KID
    I do all these things and listen to my body, but my body has decided it doesn't need any more than 5-6 hours of sleep. I wake up between 3 and 4am no matter when I go to bed. If I try to go to bed really early, I wake up at 1am. Since I've got lots of energy throughout the day I guess that's just who I am. - 12/12/2010 8:21:12 AM
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  • HEALTHYSOON2
    I didn't realize that my lack of sleep could be assisting in my increase of pounds. Thanks - 10/28/2010 11:58:06 AM
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