Can You Really Lose Fat Faster by Sleeping for Longer? Yes You Can!

Modern life can be very hectic, placing huge demands on your time and energy. To try and get as much done as possible, meeting work and familial obligations, many of us get by on less sleep than we should. Unfortunately, while sleeping less gives you more hours per day, it may also undermine your ability to lose fat.
Sleep deprivation has a number of unwanted effects on your body, including:

• Increased insulin resistance – this means that dietary carbs are more likely to be converted to and stored as fat.
• Increased cortisol production – cortisol if your stress hormone. Too much of it primes your body for fat gain, especially around the abdomen, and undermines fat loss.
• More cravings for sugary junk food – your body knows it needs more energy, and this is an obvious source.
• Less willpower – you’ll be much less inclined to exercise and eat healthily when you are sleep deprived.
• Less energy – you’ll feel tired, and that may make you think you don’t need to exercise. However, mental and physical tiredness are two very different things.

Getting more sleep is not always easy and staying up late is very habit forming. But, with some effort and commitment, even the busiest person should be able to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night. And no, you can’t just sleep more at the weekend to make up your sleep deficit. The damage caused by sleep deprivation happens the night you fail to get enough sleep.
Here are five strategies for getting a good night’s sleep.

1. Reintroduce bedtime

It’s probably been many years since you had a bedtime, but it’s time to bring it back. Having a bedtime will train your body when to expect sleep, and also make sure you go to bed early enough to hit your sleep quota.
Work back from the time you need to get up to make sure you are in bed 7-9 hours beforehand. This may be surprisingly early, especially if you have to get up at the crack of dawn. However, that’s the only way you are going to get the amount of sleep your body needs.
As well as a set bedtime, it’s also a good idea to have a set wake up time – for both weekend days and weekends. Avoid sleeping in too late at the weekends as this will just make waking up early on Monday much harder. Limit your weekend lie-ins to about an hour.

2. Remove distractions from your bedroom 

There is no point going to bed early if you then spend the next few hours watching TV, using a laptop, or talking or texting on your phone. Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary by banning any and all distractions. If you need something to do before you shut your eyes and go to sleep, get a book.

3. Buy a decent bed, pillows, and bedclothes

Most people spend more money on their car than they do on their bed, and yet spend much more time sleeping than they do driving. A comfortable bed will enhance your sleep, while an uncomfortable bed could keep you awake all night. The same is true for pillows and bedclothes.
If your car cost more than your bed, you may need to change your spending priorities. Quality beds, pillows, and bedclothes aren’t cheap, but you’ll soon notice the difference.

4. Avoid caffeine from the late afternoon onwards

Caffeine gives you energy. It can also disrupt your sleep. Drinking tea, coffee, or cola, or eating chocolate late in the afternoon or in the evening can stop you from sleeping. Of course, if you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll need caffeine to give you energy to get you through your day. It’s a vicious cycle!
Introduce a caffeine curfew of around 3pm to make sure that there is none lurking in your system to disrupt your sleep. This may be hard for the first few days, but once you start getting enough sleep per night, you should no longer experience an afternoon energy slump.

5. Have a small snack before you go to bed

Contrary to popular opinion, eating right before bedtime will not lead to weight gain. Providing you do not consume more calories than you need per day, the food you eat before bed will simply contribute to your daily calorie needs.
A small snack before bedtime will help raise your serotonin levels which will lead to relaxation and deeper sleep. This is not an excuse for a midnight feast – a small snack is all you need. Good options include:

• A small bowl of porridge or sugar-free cereal
• A cup of natural Greek yogurt and raw honey
• Mashed avocado on 1-2 brown rice cakes or wholemeal bread
• A sliced apple with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter
• A glass of warm milk with a tablespoon of honey

Do not underestimate the importance of sleep for fat loss. It’s amazing to think that something so passive can have such a big impact on how quickly and easily you lose weight. Yes, you CAN get by on less than 7-9 hours sleep, but that doesn’t mean you should. Stop depriving your body of sleep, and you’ll not only have more energy, you’ll lose fat faster too.