How important is sleep?
peppytwist
Posts: 25 Member
How important is sleep to weight loss?
I really need to lose weigh. I recently started tracking calories here without trying to modify my eating habits (yet). I have even been weighing and measuring. I was curious since I don't feel like I eat enough to be as heavy as I am. So far I have been consistently under my calorie goal set by MFP to lose 2 pounds a week (sedentary).
I suffer from insomnia and other sleep issues. I have gained 60 pounds the past year (everything I had lost the year before and then some!). I am over 300 pounds now. I have been really struggling with my sleep problems and working with doctors to figure out something that will help. The doctor mentioned in passing that lack of sleep can be a factor in weight gain. I just wonder if I would be fighting a losing battle if I tried to lose weight now while I am still unable to get any quality sleep. I don't want to set myself up for failure.
I really need to lose weigh. I recently started tracking calories here without trying to modify my eating habits (yet). I have even been weighing and measuring. I was curious since I don't feel like I eat enough to be as heavy as I am. So far I have been consistently under my calorie goal set by MFP to lose 2 pounds a week (sedentary).
I suffer from insomnia and other sleep issues. I have gained 60 pounds the past year (everything I had lost the year before and then some!). I am over 300 pounds now. I have been really struggling with my sleep problems and working with doctors to figure out something that will help. The doctor mentioned in passing that lack of sleep can be a factor in weight gain. I just wonder if I would be fighting a losing battle if I tried to lose weight now while I am still unable to get any quality sleep. I don't want to set myself up for failure.
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Replies
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Anecdata: I lost quite a bit of my weight while severely sleep deprived with 2 children under 2.
From what I recall, sleep deprivation hinders weight loss only insomuch as it can change hormones in charge of hunger and satiety, so it can make you want to eat more often and eat more than you need. I found, personally, that once I got strict with my intake, counting calories and weighing food, that I no longer relied on food to make me feel less tired. While I didn't feel less tired, I also didn't feel more tired : turns out my body/brain/hormones had been lying to me about how much I needed.0 -
Funny to see this thread this morning... slept terribly last night. Wondering what, if any, impact. For me (previously an insomniac) I think it plays a huge role... but my habits are being re-written through MFP so I think that even tho temptation will be sitting right on my (left?) shoulder today I should be fine!0
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bendyourkneekatie wrote: »Anecdata: I lost quite a bit of my weight while severely sleep deprived with 2 children under 2.
From what I recall, sleep deprivation hinders weight loss only insomuch as it can change hormones in charge of hunger and satiety, so it can make you want to eat more often and eat more than you need. I found, personally, that once I got strict with my intake, counting calories and weighing food, that I no longer relied on food to make me feel less tired. While I didn't feel less tired, I also didn't feel more tired : turns out my body/brain/hormones had been lying to me about how much I needed.
I feel you, I have a special needs 3year old with a seizure disorder--I haven't had the recommended amount of sleep in years, either!
I agree with how your body wants more fuel to compensate--but if you fight it, weight loss can still occur!
On the other hand, lack of sleep can really screw you up when it comes to exercise--poor form fatigue, etc lead to injuries.
Best of luck!!0 -
It is likely that it will slow you down by decreasing your calories out (both your non exercise calories and your exercise calories since you are operating in a non optimal fog.
Lack of sleep may also impede recovery and increase the relative amount of lean mass you will eventually lose.
However, all this won't stop your ability to effectively lose weight assuming you achieve a reasonable caloric deficit (say something that doesn't exceed 20% of your TDEE).0 -
60 lbs in a single year is fairly significant. I hope your doctors are looking into a medical cause such as cushing's syndrome.
As others have said, lack of sleep can make you feel a lot hungrier, which leads to eating more. Careful and honest logging should pinpoint your actual consumption for you and your physician to share. Careful logging is not pointless, however, as it is the only way you're going to get the upper hand on your weight.
The only way to guarantee you'll fail is to not try.
Your diary is closed. Are you measuring all your food? Weighing? Accounting for every bite?0 -
Sleep is important because we burn the most body fat AT REST and the most when sleeping. It's part of the reason you weigh less in the morning than from the night before.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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It's not just important for weight loss it's vitally important for muscle repair.
I dont know about anyone else as well but sleep deprivation and sugar cravings go hand in hand0 -
Ive lost 113# 287 down to 173 while working nights. Monday-friday I only sleep about 1 1/2-2 hours. Sometimes a 30 minute nap on my lunch break. It does make you extremely tired but if you just get up and move the energy comes naturally. Working out in the morning after drop off for school powers me through my day until I can nap (the only time I sleep is when my two year old naps)
Also I noticed when I was working days I would keep telling myself and others "im tired" but in reality it was just a habit of saying it. I Wasnt in fact tired. I was just bored. Tell yourself positive things and it will motivate you to do better things for yourself.0 -
It's not the most important thing but I'd put it in the top 5.
If for nothing more than your quality of life you should do what you can to increase quality and quantity.
IMHO trying to lose weight whilst trying to cure/improve insomnia will be more difficult than for someone who has good sleep patterns but should not prohibit you from trying. And with exercise, a moderate weight loss calorie goal, and a focus on a good balance of quality food should help with the sleep rather than hinder your recovery in this area.0 -
I wonder if I logged my weight everyday and compared that to my sleep stats from every night if I would see trend in my weight fluctuations? For instance I only got 5.5 hrs sleep last night and this morning my scale went up 1.2 lbs. Just a thought0
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Sleep is very important for many reasons which could impact weight loss/gain. Make it a priority to sleep better if you can - there are hundreds of articles online about how to reduce your chance of sleeping badly e.g. reduce caffeine, stop using "screens" (phones, TVs, computers) in the evening, exercise, get some sunlight during the day, try to relax more, etc.
The question you might also ask is: did the poor sleep cause the weight gain or did the weight gain cause the poor sleep? Added bodyweight can cause all sorts of hormonal problems and it's likely that the two have contributed to each other so keep adhering to a calorie goal AND try to improve your sleep.
Good luck.
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Exercise can help with sleep. Maybe do some walking during the day.
BTW, taking a hot shower just before bed can interfere with sleep for some people.
Also if you have not done so already, make changes to your bedroom to practice good sleep hygiene:
https://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/sleep-hygiene
We have no electronics/ phones/ books and so on in our bed room: only two alarm clocks.
We only use the bedroom for sleep.0 -
This thread got me thinking about my sleep pattern. When I was obese my sleep was always disrupted, I would wake up numerous times and find it difficult to get back to sleep and although I was in bed for 7/8 hours I was only getting about 3/4 hours sleep. My OH also complained about my snoring. The more weight I lost the better my nights sleep got. I've now just got into the healthy weight range and am getting a good 7/8 hours undisrupted kip and I don't snore any more.
I would recommend the OP start her weight loss journey immediately.
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When I don't get enough sleep, I crave all sorts of junk/sugar the next day--my body trying to get energy.0
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I don't know how you do it. When I get less than 4 hours of sleep I get incredibly grouchy. As in, I could have been the lady screaming at the grocery clerk over a price increase and then attacking store security with a pen (I wasn't but could have been).lindaloo9331 wrote: »Ive lost 113# 287 down to 173 while working nights. Monday-friday I only sleep about 1 1/2-2 hours. Sometimes a 30 minute nap on my lunch break. It does make you extremely tired but if you just get up and move the energy comes naturally. Working out in the morning after drop off for school powers me through my day until I can nap (the only time I sleep is when my two year old naps)
Also I noticed when I was working days I would keep telling myself and others "im tired" but in reality it was just a habit of saying it. I Wasnt in fact tired. I was just bored. Tell yourself positive things and it will motivate you to do better things for yourself.
I consider sleep very important for my emotional and mental health, therefore important to my physical as well. 6-7 hours most nights and an extra 3-5 on weekends.0 -
I'm very interested in this thread. As someone who has had trouble sleeping since the days of univeristy (I work SO much better at night when there's nothing to distract me that if it weren't for lectures/shops/seeing people who weren't nocturnal I probably would have developed the sleeping habits of a hamster) I've now realised this is when the weight gain started.
I am having major issues at the moment as I cannot sleep in silence at all. I had mice for a year and since then if I'm in silence I begin to work myself up to hear things, and I convinced myself if mice could hear my TV programmes they wouldn't come in (I know, it's not right but it's stuck). All the sleep advice says to sleep in silence with no TV/computers etc but I just can't do that.
It's not that I find myself over indulging particularly when I'm tired (I'm working on it) I find my exercise is suffering. I was getting to the point where I was beginning to get better and better at spinning but now I feel like I've fallen flat on my face and struggle so much at every class to find any motivation or willpower
So yeah, I think it depends on how you deal with it and you need to learn a way around it. Good luck!0 -
I've got the opposite problem at the moment got to sleep last night at about 11.30pm and had to literally drag myself out of bed this morning at 11am, I usually need about 9hours to function properly but nearly 12hours! I feel really lazy. Not sure if its got something to do with the amount of exercise I do versus the calories I eat. Any ideas anyone0
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#1 Calorie adherance
#2 Training
#3 Fiber
#4 Sleep
#5 Macros
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It can cause weight gain due to increase in appetite due to changes in the levels of ghrelin and leptin but the evidence is far from conclusive. Some people who are insomniacs might eat less due to stress and some more. It's possible it causes a slight downshift in BMR as well but I'm not sure there is anything conclusive in any of the reasearch as of yet.
Likely, the biggest issue is that you are more fatigued and will not feel like moving much (lower NEAT) or exercising (Lower EAT).0 -
#1 Calorie adherance
#2 Training
#3 Fiber
#4 Sleep
#5 Macros
Can't argue with the contents of that list. I'd place them in a diff order but I think that after the first two, Cals and Training, the effect is diminishing to the low percentages.
True to say, IMHO, get those 5 right most of the time and you're on to a winning formula.0 -
StealthHealth wrote: »#1 Calorie adherance
#2 Training
#3 Fiber
#4 Sleep
#5 Macros
Can't argue with the contents of that list. I'd place them in a diff order but I think that after the first two, Cals and Training, the effect is diminishing to the low percentages.
True to say, IMHO, get those 5 right most of the time and you're on to a winning formula.
Definitely arguable (the last 3). Fiber has a huge impact on me. When I don't get enough, I don't feel good (if you know what I'm sayin'
), and the only reason I put Macros at 5 is because assuming someone has their calories in check, their macro balance will be good enough in 98% of the cases barring the extremes. Agreed though...very minute to the overall scheme. 0 -
peppytwist wrote: »How important is sleep to weight loss?
I really need to lose weigh. I recently started tracking calories here without trying to modify my eating habits (yet). I have even been weighing and measuring. I was curious since I don't feel like I eat enough to be as heavy as I am. So far I have been consistently under my calorie goal set by MFP to lose 2 pounds a week (sedentary).
I suffer from insomnia and other sleep issues. I have gained 60 pounds the past year (everything I had lost the year before and then some!). I am over 300 pounds now. I have been really struggling with my sleep problems and working with doctors to figure out something that will help. The doctor mentioned in passing that lack of sleep can be a factor in weight gain. I just wonder if I would be fighting a losing battle if I tried to lose weight now while I am still unable to get any quality sleep. I don't want to set myself up for failure.
I had a doctor tell me that if I lost 30 pounds I might be able to cure my sleep apnea. In fact I gained 10 pounds after that, which didn't help matters much. My sleep quality got worse, and I started trending toward insomnia. I've since figured out how to quell the insomnia, but I'm non-compliant with my CPAP (I sleep less with air being forced down my throat). However now that I've begun to take the weight loss seriously, I've found it much easier to sleep and wake up at normal hours and my SO has reported less apnea episodes during the night. When I get better sleep, I notice it's easier to get a good workout in and make good caloric choices.
In my experience, it's chicken and egg. As you lose weight, you may find your sleep issues dissipating. As your sleep issues dissipate, you may find it easier to lose weight. Setting yourself up for failure would be to do nothing, and since you're already working on your sleep issues it sounds like you're on the right track!0 -
HappyCampr1 wrote: »If I don't get enough sleep, then I find it's much harder for me to resist temptation the next day. For me, being tired = fighting to stay within my calories all day.
I have sleep issues (I wake up early and can't go back to sleep), and this is the main effect I've seen. I lost weight fine sleeping on average far too little, but when I'm most sleep deprived it affects my ability to have a good workout (it really affects my performance in the gym or with running) and makes not snacking/having will power tougher.0 -
It's probably different for everyone, but I personally find that when I'm lacking on sleep I'm hungrier and tend to gravitate towards carby and sweet things. When I've slept adequately I don't have those cravings, and find it much easier to abstain.0
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If I dont sleep well, I find it almost more than I can handle to keep my cravings and hunger at bay. I feel like I have no control over myself, and I dont even want to try. I am miserable to myself and others. I take sleeping medication, and with that assistance, I can get about 7 hours nightly, which seems to work in my favour. So my experience is that sleep doesnt actually help with weight loss, but with appetite control and will power. If you are so tired you can barely function, then you dont have the energy or self control to fend off temptations or trigger foods, and are more susceptible to comforting things. JMO0
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When I dont sleep well I feed my tired vs feeding my hunger- so for me.... a lot.
Could be disrupted hormones giving me "fake" hunger - or just my lack of willpower from exhaustion.
<I feel like this mother of 3 never sleeps>
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peppytwist wrote: »How important is sleep to weight loss?
I really need to lose weigh. I recently started tracking calories here without trying to modify my eating habits (yet). I have even been weighing and measuring. I was curious since I don't feel like I eat enough to be as heavy as I am. So far I have been consistently under my calorie goal set by MFP to lose 2 pounds a week (sedentary).
I suffer from insomnia and other sleep issues. I have gained 60 pounds the past year (everything I had lost the year before and then some!). I am over 300 pounds now. I have been really struggling with my sleep problems and working with doctors to figure out something that will help. The doctor mentioned in passing that lack of sleep can be a factor in weight gain. I just wonder if I would be fighting a losing battle if I tried to lose weight now while I am still unable to get any quality sleep. I don't want to set myself up for failure.
@peppytwist what have you done so far to address your sleep hygiene? I have numerous strategies but want to see in what areas you may be lacking.
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I'm very interested in this thread. As someone who has had trouble sleeping since the days of univeristy (I work SO much better at night when there's nothing to distract me that if it weren't for lectures/shops/seeing people who weren't nocturnal I probably would have developed the sleeping habits of a hamster) I've now realised this is when the weight gain started.
I am having major issues at the moment as I cannot sleep in silence at all. I had mice for a year and since then if I'm in silence I begin to work myself up to hear things, and I convinced myself if mice could hear my TV programmes they wouldn't come in (I know, it's not right but it's stuck). All the sleep advice says to sleep in silence with no TV/computers etc but I just can't do that.
It's not that I find myself over indulging particularly when I'm tired (I'm working on it) I find my exercise is suffering. I was getting to the point where I was beginning to get better and better at spinning but now I feel like I've fallen flat on my face and struggle so much at every class to find any motivation or willpower
So yeah, I think it depends on how you deal with it and you need to learn a way around it. Good luck!
All the advice I've ever seen has said to sleep with white noise, not silence. There are lots of white noise apps, although I tend to use a fan.0 -
WickedPineapple wrote: »I'm very interested in this thread. As someone who has had trouble sleeping since the days of univeristy (I work SO much better at night when there's nothing to distract me that if it weren't for lectures/shops/seeing people who weren't nocturnal I probably would have developed the sleeping habits of a hamster) I've now realised this is when the weight gain started.
I am having major issues at the moment as I cannot sleep in silence at all. I had mice for a year and since then if I'm in silence I begin to work myself up to hear things, and I convinced myself if mice could hear my TV programmes they wouldn't come in (I know, it's not right but it's stuck). All the sleep advice says to sleep in silence with no TV/computers etc but I just can't do that.
It's not that I find myself over indulging particularly when I'm tired (I'm working on it) I find my exercise is suffering. I was getting to the point where I was beginning to get better and better at spinning but now I feel like I've fallen flat on my face and struggle so much at every class to find any motivation or willpower
So yeah, I think it depends on how you deal with it and you need to learn a way around it. Good luck!
All the advice I've ever seen has said to sleep with white noise, not silence. There are lots of white noise apps, although I tend to use a fan.
White noise generators are better than silence for some but not all. I often find music can put me to sleep better than either. Depends on the person and circumstances really.0 -
Thank you all for your feedback!
I think I have my diary set as public.
It sounds like it is a good idea for me to continue tracking calories and making an effort to eat better. I am sure it can't hurt anything and maybe I will lose weight.
I don't know how much the lack of sleep is affecting my hunger since my insomnia is fairly chronic. I can't remember the last time I got a good nights sleep.
As for sleep hygiene I think I have tried every trick in the book...I sleep with a white noise machine and soft music with no talking. I don't nap during the day. I limit my coffee/caffeine to two cups in the morning. I don't smoke or drink alcohol. I don't snack after dinner. I usually have a cup of herbal tea after dinner. I try to turn off electronics and read a book an hour or so before I head to bed. If I am unable to sleep I get out of bed and read a book (usually one I have read before so it isn't too interesting!) I use the bedroom only for sleeping and only go to bed when I feel tired. I often meditate before bedtime. I TRY to get up at the same time every day but that one is tough for me. My bed is very comfortable.
Unfortunately I have some medical issues that make real exercise impossible. I try to stay as active as possible throughout the day and do walk regularly. I am working with my doctor(s) to try to lose weight and improve my health but I find it is very difficult to get all of the help and information I want in a 10 minute appointment with a rushed professional. It is nice to get helpful input from people here!
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