What Role does Good Sleep Play in Weight Loss??

Zumaria1
Zumaria1 Posts: 225 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've always been more of a night person, and lately my usual bedtime is 1 am. I get up about 7:30-8am. I know I should go to bed earlier, but I find it so hard, especially since my Mom died in March. I am trying to regain healthy habits, eating and exercising.

Since joining this site and starting my Zumba Wii, I have lost about 1.5 lbs, in about a week, so I'm satisfied with that. But I was curious if in the long run my sleep habits would ruin my future efforts??? Anyone else a night owl and been successful in weight loss??? Would love to hear opinions :)

Replies

  • pixeldust
    pixeldust Posts: 18
    I'd love to know the same... thanks to a 9 month old who is a terrible sleeper I get maybe 6 hours a night and get woken anywhere from 2 to 8 times in that 6 hours and my weight loss has stalled after losing water weight initially :( I do wonder how much sleep has to do with it.
  • offthedeependay
    offthedeependay Posts: 435 Member
    interested in this too ,average 4.5 to 5 hours a night ,track it with fitbit,some night wake up 15 times,,dont remember the last time I slept through the night or past 6 hours...aahh,,,
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Read the first article:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/422002-the-no-bs-fat-loss-thread?hl=the+no+bs+fat+loss



    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • skypie02
    skypie02 Posts: 15
    I am a Biology major for Pre Physician Assistants School and have researched this myself because being a full time busy student I do not sleep alot. Yes, sleep can affect your weight loss efforts. The healthy amount of sleep recommended for a healthy sleeping pattern is 7-9 hours a night. If you are having problems falling asleep there are two natural remedies in the past I have tried, Melatonin you can take up to 3mg and you body naturally makes this and this helps get into a healthy sleeping routine. You can also try using Valerian Root which smells awful but is a natural remedy to help with sleep and anxiety. Both are natural and not bad for you but you might want to check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure they will not conflict with any other medications you may be taking or any prior medical conditions. However, I have been sleep deprived well since I have been working to lose weight and I have lost weight with no problem but I am maintaining good calorie intakes and have been working out (I teach Zumba so Rock On!!) I have lost 43 pounds with the help of Zumba! Make sure also if you are not getting enough sleep that you are taking your vitamins to maintain a healthy immune system! Hope this helps! Good luck with your weight loss goals!! I am ALMOST at mine so keep me in your prayers and thoughts and God Bless!
  • Missylydia
    Missylydia Posts: 304 Member
    I have made attempts at weight loss and fitness before and my sleep pattern had always been rubbish, and weight loss was hard.
    This time, I am at bed before midnight (usually) and up at about 7am and I feel 100x better and am loosing fast, it seems. (Workout in the morning, tired enough to sleep at night)
    Fitness is great too, more muscle definition, more progress.
    I guess, the body heals when you are sleeping so it makes sense.

    Edit: because iPad autocorrect is a pain in the bum
  • sabbyebert
    sabbyebert Posts: 2
    I have lost 70pounds (not from sleeping but hard work but from nursing my child and doing Zumba). Sleep is important. My take on the sleep thing...earlier to bed the better to stave off the midnight cravings. If you are awake you will most likely be digging in the cupboards or fridge. We were created to work and then rest...mess up the rythm and our internal systems go haywire and when that doesn't function...your body is not going to do what it is supposed to.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I'd love to know the same... thanks to a 9 month old who is a terrible sleeper I get maybe 6 hours a night and get woken anywhere from 2 to 8 times in that 6 hours and my weight loss has stalled after losing water weight initially :( I do wonder how much sleep has to do with it.

    I have an 18 month old and a 3.5 year old who both still wake in the night, so I never, ever get enough sleep. They share a room so unfortunately wake each other up.

    I started losing weight when my daughter (the 18 month old) was 7 weeks old, and back then she was waking around 6 times some nights. I've been losing weight steadily, so it can't have had too much of an effect. Of course, I'm sure i'd have lost weight faster if I'd been getting 8 hours sleep every night.

    For me, the hardest thing about being so tired is that I want chocolate for the energy some days. I manage to avoid it by drinking lots of coffee instead!
  • Kaathmandu
    Kaathmandu Posts: 129
    I find my plateaus seem to coincide with times of sleep deprivation - I do feel like eating more when tired, but I don't, and sleep seems to be the only variable.
  • Juashmom
    Juashmom Posts: 55
    I think it all depends if you feel rested or not and why your not getting enough rest...I went 2 years working full time and going to school full time...My days started around 7am and didn't end sometimes until 3-4am...I desperately wanted to sleep but had too many deadlines and responisibilites...Thus I ate and drank an lot of crap to keep myself going and gained weight...its been six months since I gave up the crazy schedule and whille I'm not getting the recommended amount of sleep (body is having a really hard time adjusting) I feel rested...I'm also eating better which helps.and the weight is slowly dropping.
  • Zumaria1
    Zumaria1 Posts: 225 Member
    Thanks so much for the answers so far! I def appreciate the link to that thread with the article breaking it down, and for the tips about taking Melatonin. I definitely think I was sleep deprived, my immune system must be low, because I caught a cold two months in a row, in the past I never caught colds. I also love to hear from others who have lost weight with Zumba!!! Worked out today and burned 534 calories in a hour workout! Yay! But I will def try to get more sleep.
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
    There have been some studies recently that have shown that getting enough sleep does effect weight loss because sleep effects the hormones leptin and ghrelin. There's a decent article in laymans' terms on webmd about it:

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/lose-weight-while-sleeping


    The way I figure it is that anything sensible that gives me a little boost for weight loss is a good thing. With all the crazy things out there that people try (cabbage soup diet?! tapeworms?!!!) why wouldn't you try something as simple as getting enough sleep?

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