If you are staying up late on a regular basis, and if you are getting less than 7 hours sleep on a regular basis, you are sabotaging your fat loss results and increasing health risks. Your circadian rhythm is a huge contributor to your fat loss results and overall health. We’ll explore the impacts of getting to bed late and having inadequate sleep, as well as some strategies to help you improve your sleep and therefore your fat loss results.

Circadian Rhythm

 The circadian rhythm is your body’s internal body clock that determines the body’s functions over a 24-hour period. It determines your:

• Sleepiness and wakefulness
• Body temperature
• Hormones
• Metabolism
• Heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Mood
• Behaviour
• It also contributes to the regulation of your blood sugar and your cholesterol.

The circadian rhythm is controlled by your SCN (Suprachiasmatic nucleus) in your hypothalamus, the area of your ‘brain that manages the autonomic nervous system and the pituitary gland.’[1] Your autonomic nervous system is what controls your involuntary functions such as heart rate, digestion, hot flushes, sweats and much more.

During the day the light triggers the SCN to send messages of wakefulness, being alert and active. When the sun goes down the SCN sends a signal to the brain to produce melatonin your sleepy hormone.

When your circadian rhythm is disrupted, it can result in:

• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Mood swings
• Emotional distress
• Digestion problems
• Reduced metabolism
• Inability to focus and think clearly
• Reduced memory
• Somatic pain (aches and pains throughout the body)
• Accelerated tumor formation, increasing risk of cancers
• Hormone production including sex hormones, impacting your libido and fertility
• Increased risk of health issues such as:
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Diabetes type 2
  • Hypertension
  • Increased cholesterol
  • Heart disease
  • Weight related issues
• Fluctuations in production of Leptin (hormone that tells your brain you are full) and Ghrelin (hormone that tells your brain you are hungry) hormones
  • This makes it difficult to stick to a set nutrition plan
• Changes in eating habits
  • Increased sugar cravings
  • Increased snacking to boost energy, which results in overeating. Studies show as much as 200-500 calories extra per day.

All of this together then impact your body’s ability for fat loss and your health.

People who go to bed late, tend to greatly disrupt their circadian rhythm, making fat loss extremely difficult.

Benefits of going to bed earlier and sleeping longer

• Regulates your circadian rhythm
• Reduces health risks associated with long term circadian rhythm disruptions
• Reduces somatic pain i.e., less aches and pains, reduces headaches and stomach aches
• Regulates your appetite and reduces cravings
• Improves glucose tolerance, reducing risk of insulin resistance and diabetes
• Reduces excess production of Cortisol, your stress hormone
• Increases compliance to fat loss management plans
• Increases your energy
• Improves your mood

A study[2] conducted by Thomson and colleagues on women proved that you lose more fat the longer you sleep. They studied 2 groups of women over 24-month period. Both were put on strict weight management diets and increased activity, as well as behaviour counselling to help with improved sleep. One group however had less than 7 hours sleep and the other greater than 7 hours sleep. A third group was also studied. They were placed solely on a weight management diet. This study showed that the women who slept longer and had better quality sleep had better fat loss results. A number of studies further supported this.

Strategies to improve your sleep and your circadian rhythm

• Create a routine in your sleep and wake times. Go to bed and wake up at the same time a majority of the time. We put our babies in a routine as we recognise that they behave better and grow better with routine. The same goes for younger children, adolescence and adults. The need for routine doesn’t change with the change in age.
• Get some sunlight in as early as you can in your day to notify the brain that this is wake time.
• Exercise daily as this helps you sleep better
• Avoid caffeine after 12pm as caffein disrupts your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep and the quality of your sleep.
• Avoid stimulants such as energy drinks and alcohol as they impact your sleep.
• Turn off electronic devices such as phones, laptops, tablets, iPads etc. at least an hour before bed as the light omitted from these disrupts your sleep in a similar way to caffeine.
• Avoid long naps or naps close to bedtime.
• Reduce your sugar intake. Consuming high levels of sugar prevent you from falling asleep quickly and disrupts your sleep quality.
• Turn off your overhead light in the evening and turn on a lamp. The lamp appears to the brain as the moon to help trigger melatonin production, whereas the overhead light is observed by the brain as the sun.
• Manage your weight as it helps you sleep better, which then helps you manage your weight easier. They go hand-in-hand.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as they contain fibre which helps regulate your appetite hormones, leptin and ghrelin, reducing cravings and overeating.
• Eat protein in every meal as it helps keep you fuller for longer.
• Eat plenty of good fats to promote hormone synthesis and promotes brain function, which in turns improve your circadian rhythm.
• Stay hydrated. Hydration is vital for optimal brain function, digestion, fat loss and your circadian rhythm.

As you can see there is plenty of evidence to support the importance of sleep for your health and fat loss results. It is up to you now to implement what you now know to enhance your sleep and therefore your weight.

• Coach Terri

Footnotes:

[1] https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-are-biological-rhythms

[2] Thomson C.A., Morrow K.L., Flatt S.W., Wertheim B.C., Perfect M.M., Ravia J.J., Sherwood N.E., Karanja N., Rock C.L. Relationship between Sleep Quality and Quantity and Weight Loss in Women Participating in a Weight-Loss Intervention Trial. Obesity. 2012;20:1419–1425. doi: 10.1038/oby.2012.62.

References:

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-are-biological-rhythms

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9031614/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8963423/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03171-4