Importance of Having Enough Sleep in Losing Weight

There are lots of different factors that can affect the results of a weight loss program. The most common are the exercise routines themselves, the diet plan, motivation, consistency and so much more. But there's one factor that I think some may have overlooked and that's getting enough sleep. How can it help a person lose weight?

The most obvious reason is that when engaging in exercise routines, especially if you're into high impact cardio exercises or if you're weight training is intermediate to advanced (heavier weights or relatively more repetitions), you need energy. Aside from the food you eat, sleeping can replenish your energy and give you that extra boost to maximize the results of your workout.

Also, when you wake up, your mood can change depending on how well you slept right? If you lessen the number of sleeping hours from what you were used to, there's a tendency that you'll have a bad mood that day. This is common especially if you force yourself to wake up with an alarm. You might even have a terrible headache or dizziness from lack of sleep. You'll feel tired, bored, stingy or even angry and it may affect your workout. Remember, focus and concentration can help you maximize your workouts.

There is a misconception about sleeping and weight loss that I've heard from my friends which I experienced myself. Cutting down on 2 hours of sleep just to be able to give way to 2 more hours of workout can be disadvantageous. It's like saying, "I'll sleep less so I can work out more!" Since you're weaker compared to when you have a good sleep, you'll experience difficulty in doing more repetitions for weight training and even notice your endurance dwindle.

If you've been able to complete 45-minute cardio exercises with average difficulty when you were still taking enough sleep, there's a big chance that you won't be able to endure the same duration if you lack sleep. You may not notice it during the first few days but in the long run, you'll most likely feel weaker instead of getting stronger.

Right now, I'm steadily losing weight and I can now fit in medium-sized shirts. I can still remember 2 years ago, my aunt gave us shirts from Florida and they were double XL. Right now, I'm taking it easy. Slowly but surely and I am actually working out based on my sleeping pattern. If I wake up on my own (without an alarm), most likely I had a very good sleep regardless of the number of hours I slept. I maximize my workouts to get better results.

If I have wake up to an alarm, I'd minimize my workout since I know I'm not as strong and energetic. But, I make sure that I try to be consistent so that my body will get used to it once I reached my maintenance weight. That's what I have learned and hopefully it can help others as well. A couple of years ago, when I was just starting to work out, I deprived myself of sleep. It was a bad experience as I continued to struggle while lifting weights and I didn't last long during cardio exercises. To add to that, my bad mood swings due to severe lack of sleep affected my drive and motivation. During my battle with weight loss, my cardiologist was the one who guided me and provided more information on how sleeping can affect a weight loss program.

So there you have it. Make sure you don't deprive yourself of a good night's sleep. We have different sleeping patterns and comfortable sleeping hours. The important thing is that you are aware of your sleeping habits so you can incorporate it into your workout schedules and plan ahead. Having trouble balancing your activities and your sleeping time? Time management works wonders. Sleep your way to weight loss success.

Source:

Dr. Ramon A. Reyes M.D., Internal Medicine - Cardiologist
St. Luke's Medical Center, Philippines