Sleep

AmyWininger

How many hours do you need to sleep a night? And if you don't sleep that amount, will it hinder your weight loss? What about if you sleep too much? I know, calories in, calories out determines weight loss, but does sleep have anything to do with it at all? I can't seem to find enough time to sleep some days, and then others I sleep 14 or 15 hours..

lcfairbairn74

I'm a chronic insomniac and it hasn't affected my ability to lose weight. As less sleep may affect your energy levels you may find you become less active, which is where I think it affects me after a couple of nights of extremely poor sleep. My Fitbit records about 200 calories less worth of movement on those days!

Mellyajc

I imagine it varies, but sleep is important. Body needs time to rejuvenate. MIND needs time to rejuvenate! If you start to feel foggyheaded from lack of sleep, it's harder to get up and exercise, other things take longer so you have less time to exercise...

Also, the less sleep I get, the more hungry I am. Sleep is an easy way to regain energy without having to pay for it in calories haha.

That being said...staying in bed until you're rested isn't ideal either (because then I'd never get out of bed). Getting up in the morning is hard, I used to use sleep as an excuse and "once I start getting to bed earlier, then I can get up and exercise". Not true at all. Getting up earlier and exercising made me feel better all day.

LeahFerri

I do well with the typical eight hours. There are a couple of ways in which lack of sleep hinders my quest for well-being. The more I'm awake, the greater potential there is for an additional hunger signal, which is usually when I'm tired, so the way in which I fulfill that hunger signal is less controlled. This usually comes into play when I'm up late studying. In addition, when I don't get enough sleep, I have lower energy, and sometimes the only way to make up that energy to get me through the day is to eat more. Even when it's controlled and is more nutritious food, it's still more calories. This usually comes into play when I am up late the previous night (assuming I was on target for that day) and have to wake up early the next morning. I generally get hit with one or the other, not both, though, so only one day gets really mucked up.

luckydays27

I sleep 8 hours a night, nearly every night. My body knows when its time to go to bed and when its time to get up. If I dont get enough sleep, I am more sluggish and I have a harder time motivating myself in the gym.

kgeyser

Usually 4-5 hours of broken, interrupted sleep; six if I'm really lucky.