How Sleep Affects Weight

Weight is more complex than calories in/out

Like most of our sleep schedules, this one will be short.

If you’re used to an input-output view of weight management, you’re missing some big parts of the picture (namely genetic factors, environmental factors, and what this article focuses on, neuroendocrine factors).

Let’s see how sleep impacts weight.

Neuroendocrine Factors — Hormones

We must first learn about two hormones (chemicals our body produces). First is ghrelin. Ghrelin, also known as the “hunger hormone”, stimulates our appetite and tells us to eat.

The second is leptin. Leptin tells us to stop eating.

You can think, “Ghrelin go! Leptin stop.”

The Role Sleep Plays

When we are deprived of sleep, we disturb our normal production of these two hormones.

Specifically, we start to produce more ghrelin and less leptin, leading to overeating, often without us realizing it. This is why it’s more tempting to reach for high-calorie foods, like cheeseburgers and cookies, when we’re not getting enough sleep. And since we produce less leptin, we don’t feel full as easily, leading us to eat more and more.

When this happens for too long, you can guess the outcome. It can lead to insulin resistance, which causes diabetes. Overeating can also lead to obesity and other chronic conditions.

When we put more mass on our bodies, our hearts have to work harder constantly to pump blood to all of it. Think of going to a gym to work out your heart, but you push it hard 24/7 with no breaks ever.

Sleep impacts just about every facet of health we can think of, and depriving ourselves too often increases our risk of mortality and serious(ly bad) health conditions.

Luckily for us, sleep is free. It’s up to us as individuals if we want to prioritize it.

Does learning about the science of behavior change so you can build healthy habits that last a lifetime without paying for nonsense products and services interest you? Check out my site at core5health.com

This article first appeared on the Core 5 Health blog at https://core5health.com/why-7-9-hours-of-sleep-are-recommended/.