We know that cutting calories and exercising can help you lose weight. But what about sleep? If you don’t get enough sleep, some people might have a harder time getting rid of excess body fat. When you want to lose weight, it is important to make sure you do not lose out on sleep during the week because there is no such thing as catching up on sleep during the weekend. Let’s take a closer look.
The connection between sleep loss and obesity
If you are suffering from sleep deprivation, it is linked to an increased risk of obesity. And as we mentioned above, inadequate sleep has been linked to difficulties with weight loss. Without sleep restriction, people typically got about seven hours of sleep each night. Those that had sleep restriction got about six hours of sleep during the week and about eight hours on the weekends.
If you are trying to lose weight, you should aim for about seven or eight hours of sleep each night. More sleep isn’t necessarily to lose weight. However, people who typically get less than this might want to begin to get more rest if they are overweight or obese.
To learn more about how sleep apnea and how a lack of sleep can lead to obesity and difficulty in losing weight, contact Dr. Sara at AZ Sleep & TMJ Solutions.