During a routine session, my client Vijaya was almost in tears. She had tried to lose weight for sometime now and had applied the latest fad diet in town and insane workout schedule without any lasting results. When I probed further, I came to know that she hardly slept for more than 5 hours a day.
Sleep is restorative in nature. All the repair activities in the body happen when we sleep.Sleep deprivation leads to deficits in cognitive functioning, whether it’s reaction time, decision-making, or memory. According to National Sleep Foundation(NSF), an adult requires 7-9 hours of sleep a day.Lack of sleep can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other ailments.
Lack of sleep and weight gain are being studied deeply. The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells us when to eat, and when we are sleep-deprived, we have more ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when we are sleep deprived, we have less leptin. More ghrelin plus less leptin equals weight gain.
In a study, it was found that those who only spent four hours in bed for five consecutive nights gained almost two pounds more than those who were in bed for about 10 hours, over the course of a week. In another study,a group led by Drs. Erin Hanlon and Eve Van Cauter at the University of Chicago wanted to better understand how sleep and weight gain interact biologically. They noticed that sleep deprivation has effects in the body similar to activation of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, a key player in the brain’s regulation of appetite and energy levels. Perhaps most well-known for being activated by chemicals found in marijuana, the eCB system affects the brain’s motivation and reward circuits and can spark a desire for tasty foods.
Steps to regulate sleep cycle:
- Switch off all gadgets one hour before sleep.
- Everyday sleep at a specific time.
- Avoid excessive caffeine.
- Exercise regularly
- Foods rich in tryptophan like milk,nuts and seeds and fowl help in regulation of sleep. Magnessium rich foods like dark greens, banana also help with sleep.
- Avoid high sugary foods and junk foods.
Address your sleep problems, you will see a profound change in your total well- being.