Weight gain doesn’t mean that your body hates you, it’s instead that you’re not treating it well enough!
When you make the decision to stay awake when your body is demanding that you sleep, your metabolism and hormones take a hit. In response, your body in-turn throws your body into flux and force you to have weird cravings.
Dangerous Sleep Alternatives
Coffee, for example, is often used as a stimulus to stay awake or wake-up. Plus, when you have coffee, you often crave sugar as well, whether you add it to your coffee or have a sweet treat alongside it. And then, you might skip your usual exercise because you’re exhausted.
It’s a scary cycle, and within just a few days your sleep deprivation will have caused issues for both your waist and your overall health.
That’s why it is so important to battle sleepiness with actual rest, and NOT with external stimulants or drugs. If you don’t, unwanted pounds as poor food choices coupled with lack of exercise set the stage for obesity and further sleep loss.
Less Full After Eating
Another reason why you may gain weight when you’re tired is that your body may not be recognizing the food that you are eating. After dozens of studies, it’s been shown that most sleep deprived people will feel less full after eating, often leading to overeating. On top of that, your body will store more fat instead of burning it.
A recent study showed that after four nights of sleep restriction, participants reported feeling less satiated after eating. Plus, when researchers looked at blood samples taken throughout the study timeframe, they also found that the participants’ bodies were more sluggish in clearing out the fat—also known as lipids—from their bloodstream after a meal than they were on longer-sleep nights. That’s a problem, because excess amounts of lipids can cause the fat to deposit in your artery walls, increasing risk of heart disease, and can also prompt storage of that fat, causing weight gain.
The Remedy
Aside from sleep? It’s all about understanding yourself and the urges you get when you’re up late into the night or into the early morning. It comes down to priorities, even if you think you NEED to stay up late to accomplish something, consider the effects that you’re forcing upon your body and mind. If you do this, most often you’ll find that the consequences outweigh the positives of staying up really late, but the decision is yours!
For more information, reach out to us at aidanm@restwell.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Pure Energy Sleep System™ mattresses are manufactured in Canada by Restwell Sleep Products. Founded in 1990, Restwell Sleep Products is a manufacturer of mattresses and box springs with two factories in Canada. The Restwell brand is known for quality, value, and comfort, and we take pride in the fact that our mattresses are Canadian made, with high quality standards and attention to detail.
