I summed up 5 scientifically proven tips to weight loss associated with sleep habits. Making some minor changes in your day and night to support your weight loss (as an addition to everyday exercises and healthy eating habits):
1. Sleep more for losing pounds easier
Surely your body and health will benefit from more sleep, and also you’ll simply have less hours when you can eat and have a snack, and eat and have a snack, etc. I always feel very hungry if I have an early dinner about 6-7 o’clock, but stay up till late.
As I have to take care of my insulin levels, my doctor suggested me to eat at 9:30 p.m. the latest, and I do, but I keep in mind to eat only food that contains 10-15 CH tops. (Watching carbo-hydrate intake is anyway a very good start in your weigh loss journey.)
Well, of course it is tempting indeed to read a book, watch TV or work till late night and be a night owl, but we must consider, that the more time we spend awake, the more likely we go to the fridge to have a snack, drink some wine, grab a chocolate bar etc.
I suggest to fix a sleep schedule and stick to it long term. Indulge yourself with having at least 7-8 hours sleep each day. Very important: set an interval for sleep that recharges you most. We can have very differing needs in this regard when it comes to sleep, but one thing is for sure: sleeping in at last 1-2 hours before midnights is proven to be more energising than falling asleep after midnight.
2. A relaxing hot shower or bath before bedtime
A hot shower at night, approx. 90 minutes before going to sleep has great effect on your sleep. It can distress you, relax your muscles and relieve anxiety and tension. (Also it can increase levels of oxytocin, a hormone linked to warm feelings, lower stress and the regulation of our emotional responses such as trust and empathy).
How dos it actually work? In the hot shower your temperature gets a lift, and after your shower a temperature drop occurs (a quick drop when you finish). All this helps to relax your entire system – and let’s add – a hot bath also has the same effect.
When you take an evening shower (and change from the habit of showering only in the morning), your body cools down faster and as a result you improve your sleep quality. In addition when your body is cooled down after a bath, it stimulates a type of fat (so-called brown fat).
Researchers have found the optimal timing of bathing for cooling down of core body temperature in order to improve sleep quality is about 90 minutes before going to bed. (Source)
3. Set colder temperature for your bedroom
A scientific research showed that we can lose belly fat more effectively while we sleep: colder temperatures help burning belly fat. Interesting is that scientist also discovered that sleeping in cold increases the most rejuvenating REM sleep in our sleep cycle. (Source)
Think about it: when you cover yourself with heavy blankets, your body doesn’t have to work too hard to maintain natural body heat. If you sleep with a cooler body temperature, without big warm duvet and cotton PJs, it forces your your body work harder to provide you normal body heat.
3. Sleep in darkness
Studies show that people who sleep in darkness are 21% less to be obsessed than those sleeping in light(er) rooms. (Source)
“Women were asked whether they slept with no light, a small nightlight, light outside of the room, or a light or television on in the room.(…) The researchers found that women who slept with a light or television on were more likely to be obese at the start of the study. They were also 17% more likely to have gained around 11 pounds or more over the follow-up period.” (Source)
The effects of natural light coming from outside was a lot more moderate: using a small nightlight is perfectly okay. It was not associated with any more weight gain than sleeping with no light. (Source)
4. Less devices – more sex
I don’t have to explain this I’m sure – if you don’t fall asleep in front of the TV or while scrolling your phone or tablet, there is much higher chance to make love to your partner. Sex is well-known for its effect on weight loss.
Several studies worldwide have shown that lovemaking reduces stress and anxiety, boosts our immune system, and yes: it does burns calories as a very much welcomed side-effect.
Using light-emitting devices such as e-book readers, iPhone, tablets, TV just before sleep is not healthy for you anyway and has bad effect on the quality of your sleep (Source).
5. No alcohol
I’m sure you consider a glass of wine in the evening or after dinner relaxing and you might experience it help you fall asleep easier, BUT: in fact it prevents your body from fully immersing in Rapid Eye Movemen (REM) cycle, where quality, restful sleep and dreaming takes place.
Let’s get a little into sleep cycles: our sleep has different stages. Our deep, restful sleep occurs in the first couple of hours and decreases during the second half . The dreaming (REM) phase takes place in the latter hours of our sleep.
With consumption of alcohol you may not sleep very deeply, or for very long. For example I usually wake a couple of hours later, and struggle to get back to sleep.
As alcohol starts to metabolize, the sedative effect wears off, keeping you in lighter stages of sleep (waking up easily, or more often, especially in the second half of your sleep). Lighter stages of sleep do not result proper recharging for you to wake up fresh and energized the next morning.