The Sleep-Weight Loss Wearable Connection
Marcelo Aller MBA CSCS
Director of Dealer Sales-Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy at Total Gym, Health and Fitness Technology Expert
?You've probably heard that to lose weight. You need to eat less and exercise more. But there's another important factor in the weight-loss equation you need to be aware of sleep. Much so that sleep is so essential that the American Heart Association announced this August the Essential 8. This advisory introduces an enhanced approach to assessing cardiovascular health: Life's Essential 8. The components of Life's essential eight include diet, physical activity levels including nicotine exposure (new), sleep habits/quality for optimal restorative functions, and general well-being--which provides for Body Mass Index calculated by measuring height versus weight in proportionate relation with other body parts such as arms or legs; Blood Lipids analyzed through tests that measure fats molecules known collectively but separately under different names like Triglycerides. Getting enough shut-eye is crucial if you want to shed pounds and keep them off (2).
Here's how sleep affects weight loss.
When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces more of the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin signals your brain that it's time to eat—and when you're trying to lose weight, that's the last thing you want! Getting enough sleep helps keep ghrelin levels in check, so you're not as likely to indulge in late-night snacking or overeat during the day.
Sleep also plays a role in regulating insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. When insulin levels are low, your body is better able to burn fat for energy. But when insulin levels are high, as they are after a poor night's sleep, your body is more likely to store fat. So if you want to lose weight, aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
How can wearables help?
Wearable tracking sleep and other nocturnal measurements help you identify duration and latency. For example, the longer you wait to go to bed, the less likely rest will arrive. Sleep latency can vary significantly due to behaviors before bedtime, such as alcohol and diet. Medication may also affect your Cortisol levels, which delays falling asleep by preventing deep, restful dreaming needed at night while sleeping or during the day. This sleep deprivation impacts your hormones.?
Sleep affects weight loss: by affecting hormones that control hunger and by affecting the way the body processes and stores fat.?
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Hunger Hormones
Ghrelin is a hormone that signals the body that it is time to eat. Ghrelin levels are highest before meals and lowest after meals. When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces more ghrelin ( 1 ).?Ghrelin levels are also higher when trying to lose weight ( 3 ). This may explain why people trying to diet often feel hungrier than usual. It's also why late-night snacking is a common pitfall for dieters.?
Blood Sugar and Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels rise, insulin levels also increase. Insulin then signals the body to store fat ( 3 ).?Poor sleep can lead to insulin resistance, which means that the body doesn't respond as well to insulin ( 3 ). As a result, blood sugar levels remain high, and fat storage increases.?
How can wearables help??
The clinical recommendations for sleep have to be clarified, but tracking latency could provide some insight. A trend towards later bedtimes and shorter nap times would indicate that someone is trying to balance their work schedule with other obligations in life--and may need help adjusting accordingly without sacrificing the quality of restful slumber.
If you're trying to lose weight, getting enough sleep is crucial. Sleep affects hunger hormones and blood sugar levels, which can impact weight loss. So aim for seven to eight hours of shut-eye each night and give yourself a leg up on your weight-loss journey!
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Sometimes it is so easy... right Marcelo? We just need a simple, trustable device that provides a little help to better organize our life ... for a better and longer one. Thanks for sharing!!!