This might sound like a daft question...

ultraviolencexo
ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
but does the amount of sleep you get effect your weight loss?

I'm under on my calories and exercising but seem to be stuck at the same weight.

I haven't been sleeping well at all, having issues with insomnia and then when I do sleep I have night terrors... I know I'm 21 they should have stopped a long time ago; it's weird cos in the night terrors its like I'm awake in my sleep I can see the bedroom I'm in and I'm convinced I'm awake but feel trapped so try and wake myself up but I'm asleep so I can't physically do it... it's right weird.

but yeah back to the point is weight loss effected by sleep?

also any tips on how to get to sleep are welcome cos this is driving me nuts :(

thanks

Replies

  • debruhf
    debruhf Posts: 196 Member
    I've heard (by no means am I an expert) that not getting enough sleep does effect your weight loss (negatively).....might definitely be something worth looking into further.
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
    I think there's a hormonal imbalance that can result in weight gain (or difficulty losing) when you're not getting enough sleep, but I don't know the details.
  • CobraBubbles
    CobraBubbles Posts: 60
    IMO, absolutely. Getting adequate sleep is important for your body to function properly.

    You may have also just hit a plateau.
  • danaaaaa
    danaaaaa Posts: 39
    i'm 21 too and i ALWAYS have those dreams. but i always get em if i'm getting too much sleep. lol. it's weird. but i think so.
    cause the past couple of days i've been sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. but finally went to bed early and i worked out today and i had a GREAT workout. better than the ones i usually have !
  • jalovec
    jalovec Posts: 62
    Taking a calcium supplement before bed can help with sleep...
  • Serenity79
    Serenity79 Posts: 81
    Interesting.... I have major sleep issues due to my health conditions, but it never occurred to me that they may be attributing to my weight problems.
  • haleighallen
    haleighallen Posts: 209 Member
    Are you eating some of your exercise calories back? That could be a problem too, if you aren't eating enough
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    but does the amount of sleep you get effect your weight loss?

    I'm under on my calories and exercising but seem to be stuck at the same weight.

    I haven't been sleeping well at all, having issues with insomnia and then when I do sleep I have night terrors... I know I'm 21 they should have stopped a long time ago; it's weird cos in the night terrors its like I'm awake in my sleep I can see the bedroom I'm in and I'm convinced I'm awake but feel trapped so try and wake myself up but I'm asleep so I can't physically do it... it's right weird.

    but yeah back to the point is weight loss effected by sleep?

    also any tips on how to get to sleep are welcome cos this is driving me nuts :(

    thanks
    Melatonin has done wonders for me when I've struggled with sleep or wake up part way through the night. It's over the counter and I take a 3mg tab at night and sleep so well now. It contains calcium, magnesium, Valerian and other natural herbs .. I use the Sundown Naturals Brand and pay around $9 for a 3 months supply. It's not something you need every night but it helps to reset your sleep so your body adjusts to getting the rhythm back. I prefer the natural herbal method over the prescription simply because with this there's no drug hangover feeling the a.m.

    Might check it out and see how it works for you until you can get the sleep cycle set again:flowerforyou:
  • Aimee_PD
    Aimee_PD Posts: 177 Member
    how under on calories are you? you may not be getting enough which will cause you to not lose....and yes i believe inadequate sleep will affect weight loss as well...

    when i cant sleep i take a natural sleep aid (melatonin) and it does me just fine, i dont feel groggy the next morning. worth trying!
  • ultraviolencexo
    ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
    i'm 21 too and i ALWAYS have those dreams. but i always get em if i'm getting too much sleep. lol. it's weird. but i think so.
    cause the past couple of days i've been sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. but finally went to bed early and i worked out today and i had a GREAT workout. better than the ones i usually have !

    They creep me out, there is like a level of consciousness though cos in my head I'm telling myself to try and switch the light on to snap out of it and last night I just told me self wait it out it will be over soon but they terrify me it's what I imagine been in a coma or something must be like, they are better now when I was younger there used to be spiders and the girl from the ring in them which is scary when you think you're awake lol

    xx
  • rtjmnz
    rtjmnz Posts: 9
    I think it is. Sleep does the body wonders. It helps the body function, gives it a better workout, more energy, I'm pretty sure it helps with the absorption of food, too. I know if you don't sleep, you're more likely to have weight gain.

    If you're having trouble sleeping, try meditating or yoga. Also eat natural, whole foods and nothing refined or processed. Some chemicals and preservatives in food does weird things to the body, so it could effect your sleep, too.
  • ultraviolencexo
    ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
    how under on calories are you? you may not be getting enough which will cause you to not lose....and yes i believe inadequate sleep will affect weight loss as well...

    when i cant sleep i take a natural sleep aid (melatonin) and it does me just fine, i dont feel groggy the next morning. worth trying!

    I have 1300 at least, I've tried sleep aids but they aren't helping and the ones in tablet form I wake up and feel hungover
  • prjoy98
    prjoy98 Posts: 250 Member
    They say that in order to maximize weight loss you need to sleep between 7 and 8 hrs.
    Here's a link with some helpful info and some learning for all of us who weren't too sure why.

    http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52111
  • ultraviolencexo
    ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
    but does the amount of sleep you get effect your weight loss?

    I'm under on my calories and exercising but seem to be stuck at the same weight.

    I haven't been sleeping well at all, having issues with insomnia and then when I do sleep I have night terrors... I know I'm 21 they should have stopped a long time ago; it's weird cos in the night terrors its like I'm awake in my sleep I can see the bedroom I'm in and I'm convinced I'm awake but feel trapped so try and wake myself up but I'm asleep so I can't physically do it... it's right weird.

    but yeah back to the point is weight loss effected by sleep?

    also any tips on how to get to sleep are welcome cos this is driving me nuts :(

    thanks
    Melatonin has done wonders for me when I've struggled with sleep or wake up part way through the night. It's over the counter and I take a 3mg tab at night and sleep so well now. It contains calcium, magnesium, Valerian and other natural herbs .. I use the Sundown Naturals Brand and pay around $9 for a 3 months supply. It's not something you need every night but it helps to reset your sleep so your body adjusts to getting the rhythm back. I prefer the natural herbal method over the prescription simply because with this there's no drug hangover feeling the a.m.

    Might check it out and see how it works for you until you can get the sleep cycle set again:flowerforyou:

    Thanks I shall look into it :) xx
  • ultraviolencexo
    ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
    They say that in order to maximize weight loss you need to sleep between 7 and 8 hrs.
    Here's a link with some helpful info and some learning for all of us who weren't too sure why.

    http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52111

    Thanks, just had a skim over (will read properly in a second) some of the suggestions look like they might help a lot :) xx
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    I'm 38, and got night terrors up until maybe a year ago. It was always something with a spider... it as climbing on my bed towards my face and I'd freak out. But I'd wake up, then turn on my lamp, put on my glasses (I'm blind as a bat) and look for the spider, then realize, "Iights were out, glasses were off... I wouldn't have been able to SEE the spider if it were real." I woke my husband up to get the spider, too. And I'm not afraid of spiders when I'm awake!

    Then one night, I was lying in bed reading, and a REAL spider was crawling on my bed. So I took my book and smooshed it, then wiped my book on a tissue. Never had another night terror again. :laugh:

    Not to say I don't have wicked bad nightmares, but no night terrors.

    My brother and his wife swear by melatonin supplements for sleeping. They don't do much for me, unless I combine them with half a xanax (they're prescribed) and a Benadryl.
  • welly5
    welly5 Posts: 293 Member
    CBC Radio was having a show about a studies that concern sleep and weight gain. Shift workers or those with *serious* sleep pattern interruptions are prone to gaining weight

    They have also found that when the sleep patterns are restored the weight is lost fairly easily.

    My bf used to work late as a bar manager and had terrible insomnia. When he later got a day job and his sleep pattern was better he lost 15 pounds without realizing it. Once day he was like... hey, I have to do my belt up one notch tighter,so he weighed himself and 15 pounds were gone.
  • danaaaaa
    danaaaaa Posts: 39
    i'm 21 too and i ALWAYS have those dreams. but i always get em if i'm getting too much sleep. lol. it's weird. but i think so.
    cause the past couple of days i've been sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. but finally went to bed early and i worked out today and i had a GREAT workout. better than the ones i usually have !

    They creep me out, there is like a level of consciousness though cos in my head I'm telling myself to try and switch the light on to snap out of it and last night I just told me self wait it out it will be over soon but they terrify me it's what I imagine been in a coma or something must be like, they are better now when I was younger there used to be spiders and the girl from the ring in them which is scary when you think you're awake lol

    xx

    tellllll me about it. it's terrifying and can get very ANNOYING. and haha i had a dream with the girl from the ring like the one you've had! man i thought i was the only one who has this problem. and sometimes i can't even breathe :frown:
  • ultraviolencexo
    ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
    I'm 38, and got night terrors up until maybe a year ago. It was always something with a spider... it as climbing on my bed towards my face and I'd freak out. But I'd wake up, then turn on my lamp, put on my glasses (I'm blind as a bat) and look for the spider, then realize, "Iights were out, glasses were off... I wouldn't have been able to SEE the spider if it were real." I woke my husband up to get the spider, too. And I'm not afraid of spiders when I'm awake!

    Then one night, I was lying in bed reading, and a REAL spider was crawling on my bed. So I took my book and smooshed it, then wiped my book on a tissue. Never had another night terror again. :laugh:

    Not to say I don't have wicked bad nightmares, but no night terrors.

    My brother and his wife swear by melatonin supplements for sleeping. They don't do much for me, unless I combine them with half a xanax (they're prescribed) and a Benadryl.

    I used to have the spider one a lot it right creeped me out cos i have a proper phobia even little ones i can't be in same room, i still get the odd one but now i've moved on to what feels like being trapped in my own body, the worst one i had was in the night terror my boyfriend was doing freaky things like sitting up straight and staring at window and then door opened and i heard someone say "i'm going to kill you in a minute" and was like **** wake up wake up! i dunno what has triggered them again i went quite a while without :(
  • ultraviolencexo
    ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
    i'm 21 too and i ALWAYS have those dreams. but i always get em if i'm getting too much sleep. lol. it's weird. but i think so.
    cause the past couple of days i've been sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. but finally went to bed early and i worked out today and i had a GREAT workout. better than the ones i usually have !

    They creep me out, there is like a level of consciousness though cos in my head I'm telling myself to try and switch the light on to snap out of it and last night I just told me self wait it out it will be over soon but they terrify me it's what I imagine been in a coma or something must be like, they are better now when I was younger there used to be spiders and the girl from the ring in them which is scary when you think you're awake lol

    xx

    tellllll me about it. it's terrifying and can get very ANNOYING. and haha i had a dream with the girl from the ring like the one you've had! man i thought i was the only one who has this problem. and sometimes i can't even breathe :frown:

    I was gutted cos the ring as a film wasnt scary but that girl... jeeesus! luckily it was a dream where she was walking away from me i think if she'd turned around i would have had a heart attack, but that freaky walk urgh!
    I read somewhere that they can be caused by sleep apnea (i dunno if i spelt that right) but don't wanna go to doctors and sound like a mad person lol
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    I work shift work. get 6 to 7 hours of sleep if I'm lucky, on work days. I also have sleep apnea, so I'm waking up several times a night anyway. Luckily I'm and endomorph, and lose weight easily. I just have a hard time keeping it off if I don't pay attentiion to diet.
  • ultraviolencexo
    ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
    Right, it's 12:44am here so I am going to go back to bed and try to sleep now I've had some warm milk lol up at 5am for work :(

    Thanks for all the advice and replies!

    Night xxxx
  • missgreen74_2003
    missgreen74_2003 Posts: 52 Member
    but does the amount of sleep you get effect your weight loss?

    I'm under on my calories and exercising but seem to be stuck at the same weight.

    I haven't been sleeping well at all, having issues with insomnia and then when I do sleep I have night terrors... I know I'm 21 they should have stopped a long time ago; it's weird cos in the night terrors its like I'm awake in my sleep I can see the bedroom I'm in and I'm convinced I'm awake but feel trapped so try and wake myself up but I'm asleep so I can't physically do it... it's right weird.

    but yeah back to the point is weight loss effected by sleep?

    also any tips on how to get to sleep are welcome cos this is driving me nuts :(

    thanks
    Melatonin has done wonders for me when I've struggled with sleep or wake up part way through the night. It's over the counter and I take a 3mg tab at night and sleep so well now. It contains calcium, magnesium, Valerian and other natural herbs .. I use the Sundown Naturals Brand and pay around $9 for a 3 months supply. It's not something you need every night but it helps to reset your sleep so your body adjusts to getting the rhythm back. I prefer the natural herbal method over the prescription simply because with this there's no drug hangover feeling the a.m.

    Might check it out and see how it works for you until you can get the sleep cycle set again:flowerforyou:


    I agree! Melatonin works wonders! I would also recomend it to help you get to sleep.
  • danaaaaa
    danaaaaa Posts: 39
    i'm 21 too and i ALWAYS have those dreams. but i always get em if i'm getting too much sleep. lol. it's weird. but i think so.
    cause the past couple of days i've been sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. but finally went to bed early and i worked out today and i had a GREAT workout. better than the ones i usually have !

    They creep me out, there is like a level of consciousness though cos in my head I'm telling myself to try and switch the light on to snap out of it and last night I just told me self wait it out it will be over soon but they terrify me it's what I imagine been in a coma or something must be like, they are better now when I was younger there used to be spiders and the girl from the ring in them which is scary when you think you're awake lol

    xx

    tellllll me about it. it's terrifying and can get very ANNOYING. and haha i had a dream with the girl from the ring like the one you've had! man i thought i was the only one who has this problem. and sometimes i can't even breathe :frown:

    I was gutted cos the ring as a film wasnt scary but that girl... jeeesus! luckily it was a dream where she was walking away from me i think if she'd turned around i would have had a heart attack, but that freaky walk urgh!
    I read somewhere that they can be caused by sleep apnea (i dunno if i spelt that right) but don't wanna go to doctors and sound like a mad person lol

    lol! yeah! that walk is so friggin creepy!! i hate it! lol.

    and yeah it's sleep apnea. and thats what i think have. :frown:
  • lkm111
    lkm111 Posts: 629 Member
    I read recently (can't link it, don't remember where I read it) that scientists are beginning to think that we actually burn more energy sleeping than previously thought. If so, that's a great reason to get more shut-eye!
  • ultraviolencexo
    ultraviolencexo Posts: 34
    I went back to bed and didn't sleep at all grr feel like a zombie and off to work where I get to make a shed load of sandwiches using very sharp knives... on the plus side I won some cash playing bingo waheeyy!
  • mjd0109
    mjd0109 Posts: 152
    I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this yet but there are studies that suggest that if you sleep with a light source on, youre more likely to gain weight then if you slept in the dark. So put your tvs on a timer and turn off your night lights!
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    I've heard that getting adequate rest can affect weight loss. I've been trying to get more lately.....don't know if I weigh less but I have more energy for the day thus I can be more active.
  • sandeeface518
    sandeeface518 Posts: 41 Member
    melatonin does wonders for me and my chronic insomnia or even valerian root. and the night terrors, it sounds like what you're experiencing is called sleep paralysis, you're awake but you can't move your body. i've experienced it many many times and it's terrifying but if i remember correctly it's when you wake up during REM sleep. reading up on it really helps take away the fear...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_Paralysis
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