Weight Loss and Sleep

Long Story Short

• 2.5 billion people worldwide are living with excess weight or obesity. (1)
• Sleep is an important factor in successful weight loss because it impacts everything important factors like metabolism to appetite control, yet it’s often overlooked. (2)
• Sleep deprivation can lead to hormonal imbalances that increase hunger and cravings, making weight loss more challenging. (2)
• Getting less than six hours of sleep a night is linked to a higher body mass index (BMI). (2)
• Sleep deprivation is associated with serious medical conditions like diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, sleep apnea, anxiety, and depression. (3)
• Getting sufficient sleep — seven to nine hours per night — is important for supporting a healthy body weight. (4)

So, you’re doing everything right to lose weight: meticulously counting calories and hitting the gym. Yet the scale won’t budge! Certain health conditions, genes, and even side effects of medications could be part of the problem. (5) But here’s something you might not have considered: your sleep habits could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

Sleep and weight loss are closely connected, and the impact might be more significant than you think. (6)(7) For example, regularly sleeping six hours or less per night is linked to a higher body mass index (BMI). (2) Poor sleep can mess with your metabolism, certain hormones, and can lead to weight gain over time. (2) If you’ve been giving it your all without seeing the weight loss results you expected, it might be time to rethink your sleep routine. 

Note: The content on Sleepopolis is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice, and it shouldn’t take the place of medical advice and supervision from a trained professional. If you feel you may be suffering from any sleep disorder or medical condition, please see your healthcare provider immediately. 

The Relationship Between Sleep and Weight Loss 

Getting enough sleep isn’t only about feeling rested; it can be an important part of your weight loss journey. With 2.5 billion people worldwide facing excess weight or obesity and somewhere between 10-40 percent of adults having trouble sleeping, scientists have started to take a closer look at how sleep can affect weight loss. (1)(8)

Research is ongoing, but what we know so far is that there’s a connection between sleep and weight loss: getting good and sufficient sleep is tied to better weight loss outcomes, while not sleeping enough is linked to a higher likelihood of weight gain. (2) 

Sleep can impact your hormone levels, metabolism, and appetite, all of which play a role in weight management. Plus, there’s a connection between sleep deprivation and serious medical conditions like diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, sleep apnea, anxiety, and depression. (2) Stick around; we unpack it all below.

Sleep and Hormones

Ever noticed how you crave more food after a late night? You can thank some of your hormones for that! Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” makes you feel hungry, while leptin, the “satiety hormone,” tells you when you’re full. (9)(10) 

It turns out sleep plays a major role in regulating these hormones. When you don’t get enough sleep, levels of your hunger hormone go up while those feel-full hormone levels decrease, creating the perfect recipe for overeating, Chester Wu, M.D., a physician board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine, tells Sleepopolis. (11) Research shows as much: a study found that people who slept less than eight hours a night had lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin. According to the researchers, this hormone shift might lead to increased appetite and contribute to a higher BMI. (12) 

Insulin is another piece of the sleep and hormones puzzle. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body absorb and store glucose (sugar) for energy. (13) Sometimes, your body doesn’t respond to insulin well, making it harder for glucose to enter the cells, which forces your pancreas to make more insulin — this is called insulin resistance. (14) 

Research shows that not getting enough sleep may be linked to higher insulin resistance. (15) And (yep, you guessed it!), there’s a connection between insulin resistance and weight gain and obesity. (16) High insulin resistance can cause your glucose levels to rise, which can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, lead to body fat storage, and make weight loss more difficult. (17)

But the hormonal story doesn’t end there. “When you don’t get enough sleep, your cortisol levels increase,” Wu says. Cortisol is called the “stress hormone” because it’s released when you’re stressed, but it also helps with metabolism, inflammation, and blood sugar control. (18) Even one night of sleep deprivation can raise cortisol levels. In one older study, researchers found that cortisol levels were higher after one night of sleep deprivation during various points of the day, especially in the morning, compared to a typical 16-hour day of being awake. The participants also reported feeling more stress during the day following a night of sleep deprivation than they were after a 16-hour typical day. (19) When cortisol levels spike, your body might start hanging on to fat, especially around the belly. (20)

Sleep and Metabolism 

Metabolism is not just a weight loss buzzword. It’s the process by which your body converts food and drinks into energy. Energy fuels everything from breathing to thinking to exercising. When people talk about having a “fast” or “slow” metabolism, they’re referring to how quickly their body burns calories. (21)

Sleep is an important factor in regulating your metabolism. (22) But surprisingly, during a normal night’s sleep, older research suggests that your body’s metabolic rate — the speed at which you burn calories — actually slows down by about 15 percent. (22) This means sleep doesn’t actually speed up your metabolism. Seems unusual for weight loss, right? But it’s actually part of your body’s nightly maintenance routine, which allows for repair and recovery. (23)(24) It’s all part of the complex relationship between sleep and metabolism that contributes to your overall health and weight management.

When you’re sleep-deprived, this finely tuned system can go haywire. “Sleep deprivation can affect your metabolic rate, and fatigue from poor sleep can result in lower levels of exercise and physical activity, which can be an important component of weight loss,” Wu notes. 

Research shows that even short periods of sleep deprivation can significantly disrupt your metabolism. In a small, older study, sleeping just four hours a night for six nights reduced the body’s ability to remove glucose from the blood by 40 percent and decreased its response to insulin. (25) A more recent study showed that sleeping only five hours a night for four nights changed how the body metabolizes (breaks down) fats. Sleep-deprived participants also had higher insulin levels before and after meals and felt less full after eating. (26)

These changes can slow down how your body burns calories and uses energy, which might make losing weight harder. And it’s not just about the number on the scale. Consistently skimping on sleep can increase your risk of developing heart problems and metabolic disorders. (26)

Sleep and Appetite

So, sleep (or the lack of it) can mess with your hormones and throw your metabolism for a loop. But there’s more to it. Remember those hormones we talked about earlier — ghrelin and leptin — and how they control hunger and fullness? Well, when you don’t get enough sleep, your brain struggles more when it comes to making food choices. (27) Plus, there’s a connection between being short on sleep and eating more, especially fatty and sugary foods, which can lead to weight gain and a higher BMI. (2)

Sleep deprivation can cause the parts of your brain responsible for thoughtful food choices to take a nap. (27) At the same time, it increases your cravings for rewarding foods. This means you might find it harder to resist those tempting, calorie-dense foods when you’re sleep-deprived.

“When we don’t get enough sleep, cravings for carbohydrates and sugary foods, as well as foods containing higher levels of sodium and fat, can increase,” Eliza Whitaker MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and medical nutrition advisor at Dietitian Insights tells Sleepopolis. 

Why does this happen? Your body craves quick energy to make up for the lack of rest, and carbohydrates and high-sugar foods provide just that. (28) They’re quickly broken down into glucose, giving you a rapid (but short-lived) energy boost, Whitaker adds. This might explain why you might be eyeing that donut or bag of chips when you’re sleep-deprived. Plus, you might find yourself snacking more at night and reaching less often for healthier options like fruits and vegetables. (2)

The problem is, Whitaker says, these cravings can lead to snacking when you’re not actually hungry or choosing meals that aren’t balanced. (27) These foods often don’t keep you full for long, which can lead to even more snacking. On top of that, high-sodium, high-fat foods tend to be higher in calories, especially if they’re pre-packaged. (29)(30) All of this can make weight loss harder over time if you’re consistently short on sleep.

How Does Sleep Affect Weight Loss?

Quality sleep helps balance your hunger hormones, keeping your appetite in check. It also supports a healthy metabolism, helping your body burn calories and use energy efficiently. When you’re well-rested, you’re likely to make better food choices and resist high-calorie cravings. Good sleep gives you the energy to stay active throughout the day. (12)(2)

On the flip side, lack of sleep can disrupt these processes, making weight loss more challenging by increasing cravings, slowing metabolism, and even influencing fat storage. (2) Plus, you’re less likely to get exercise if you’re not getting enough Zzz’s!

Sleep Disorders and Their Impact on Weight 

Just like a few nights of sleep deprivation can throw a wrench in your weight loss efforts, chronic sleep disorders can have an even bigger impact. In addition to affecting your sleep quality, sleep apnea and insomnia are prime examples of conditions that can sabotage your journey to a healthier weight. Let’s take a look at some sleep disorders and their impact on weight loss.

Sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea. It repeatedly interrupts your breathing during sleep, leading to poor sleep quality and a host of other issues. (31)

This condition can also set off a chain reaction that can affect your weight. (32) According to Wu, “OSA disrupts sleep, leading to fatigue and reduced physical activity, which may contribute to weight gain.” Besides that, with each 10 percent increase in body weight, the risk of developing OSA increases by six times. (33) It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation when it comes to weight loss and sleep apnea, where extra weight can increase your risk of OSA, and having OSA can contribute to weight gain. (34)

Not to mention that OSA can throw your appetite-regulating hormones (hello, leptin and ghrelin again!) out of balance, Wu says. So, you might feel hungrier more often and find yourself craving high-calorie foods, making it even harder to stick to your weight loss goals. (35)

Then there’s insulin resistance, which can be a double whammy with OSA. The potential sleep deprivation from OSA is linked to insulin resistance. (36) But even if you don’t experience sleep deprivation, if you have sleep apnea and carry extra weight, you can still develop insulin resistance. (36) This cycle of disrupted sleep and weight gain can be tough to break, Wu says, but losing weight can help manage sleep apnea and might even eliminate it altogether. (37)

Insomnia

Insomnia is more than just the occasional sleepless night. It’s a sleep disorder where you regularly struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get quality sleep, even when you have enough time to sleep. You might find yourself lying awake for hours or waking up frequently throughout the night. (38)

Insomnia is different from sleep deprivation, which happens when you don’t have enough time to sleep (like pulling an all-nighter to finish a project). As you might expect, chronic insomnia can prevent you from getting the amount of sleep your body needs. (39) Not only that, getting interrupted sleep, like what happens with insomnia, might actually be worse for you than not getting enough sleep. (40) 

So, what’s the connection between insomnia and weight? Well, as we saw above, sleep deprivation can mess with your weight loss goals. Not getting enough sleep due to chronic insomnia can do the same thing, causing those hunger and fullness hormones to go haywire while ramping up your cravings. (11) Plus, it can slow down your metabolism and change how your body processes and stores fat. (26) These can make it more challenging to manage or lose weight if you have insomnia. Fortunately, treatment options are available to help manage insomnia and improve sleep quality.

Best Sleep Tips For a Healthy Weight 

Now that we’ve seen how sleep and weight loss are connected, let’s talk about how to get those quality Zzz’s to help support your weight loss journey. 

“Sleep hygiene is as important as exercise and a healthy diet,” Juanbosco Ayala, M.D., a pulmonologist based in Chicago Ridge, IL, tells Sleepopolis. With that in mind, here are some sleep tips for a healthy weight: (41)

• Stick to a regular sleep schedule: Ayala recommends going to bed and waking up at the same time every day to establish a solid sleep routine.
  
• Set the stage for sleep: According to Ayala, lower the bedroom temperature and keep the bedroom dark for better sleep. And don’t forget about your sleep surface — the best mattress for you can make a world of difference in your sleep quality and comfort.
  
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed: Coffee lovers, take note! Skip caffeine a few hours before hitting the sack to keep your sleep smooth, Ayala says. As for that evening glass of wine? Alcohol might interfere with sleep, he adds, so consider saving it for earlier in the evening.
  
• Keep the bedroom for sleep only: Limit activities like work or watching TV to outside the bedroom to help your brain associate the space with rest and relaxation, says Ayala.
  
• Get moving: Whitaker notes that regular exercise, whether moderate or intense, can boost sleep quality and overall health. Just make sure to consult a healthcare professional before starting any new workout routine. (42)
  
• Unplug before bed: Ditch screens an hour before sleep, Whitaker says. If you can’t quite manage that (we get it!), you might try blue light-blocking glasses or filters on your devices to help your brain wind down. (43)

FAQs

The Last Word From Sleepopolis

Who knew your bedroom could be your ally in your weight loss journey? The relationship between sleep and weight loss is still being researched, but so far, we know that your bedtime routine could be just as important as your gym routine. Sleep can affect everything from hormone balance to metabolism to food choices. 

While sleep deprivation and certain sleep disorders can make weight loss an uphill battle, the silver lining is that improving your sleep habits might help turn things around. Next time you’re tempted to skimp on sleep, think about how a good night’s sleep might just be the missing piece in your weight loss puzzle.

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Whitaker, Eliza, MS, RDN. Personal interview. September 4, 2024. 

Ayala, Juanbosco, MD. Personal interview. September 4, 2024.