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Can You Sleep
It reduces cravings for unhealthy food.
According to one study, the sleep-deprived group wanted
foods that contained an average of 600 calories more than
what they craved when they were well rested. Researchers think
that getting a full night of sufficient sleep actually helps to reboot
and refresh the circuits of the human brain, allowing it to make
optimal food choices.
It can help you feel fuller, longer.
Getting a good night’s rest not only helps you fight the urge to
reach for a bag of chips, it also keeps your hunger pangs in
check. According to one study, when people didn’t get enough
sleep, their hormone levels became unbalanced. Their levels of
the hormone leptin, which is responsible for feeling full, dropped,
and the levels of the appetite-inducing hormone ghrelin went up.
As a result, researchers think sleep helps our bodies keep those
hunger hormones in line.
You’re more likely to exercise.
Losing weight takes a lot of energy, and if you are sleeping
too much, it’s going to impact your energy level, while sleeping
too little can affect your ability to focus and concentrate on all
the tasks at hand. One researcher believes that one of the main
reasons getting enough sleep is linked to successful weight loss
is that it provides you with the drive you need to stick to
your goals.
Sleep leads to better calorie burn.
While you sleep, you’re likely to burn somewhere between
50 and 100 calories an hour. Experts are now learning that getting
the right amount of sleep encourages a healthy metabolism, and
skimping on sleep throws it out of whack. Other research has
shown that sleeping in cooler temperatures can stimulate the
development of a type of fat called brown fat, which burns more
calories and has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity.
Yourself Slim?
Forty percent of Americans get just six hours of sleep or less per
night, according to a recent Gallup poll. And groggy mornings and
a cranky attitude aren’t the only side effects of insufficient shut-eye
either —missing out on sleep can also lead to weight gain.
If you’re trying to slim down or shape up, hitting the sack is just as
important as sweating at the gym. These four reasons are your best
excuses to hit the snooze button and get more sleep.