What keeps you up at night? A racing mind. You have to pee—your partner snores. Your kids shrieking at video games until the wee hours of the morning. Recent evidence shows a correlation between how many hours you spend asleep and your overall health.
According to Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su, MD, chief medical officer of Gennev, most adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night. Studies show an association between how people rate their overall health and how much sleep they get. For example, 95% of people who rate themselves in excellent health get more than 6 hours of sleep per night.
Can you lose weight by sleeping more?
Maybe. According to Dr. Dunsmoor-Su, and this study, people who sleep 8.5 hours most nights have a higher resting metabolic rate (the amount of calories your body burns lying on the couch), compared to people who only sleep 5.5 hours per night.
People who sleep longer, burn an average of 400 calories more per day just being alive!
Better sleep quality is associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Sleep improves metabolism and your body’s sensitivity to insulin. Even four nights of sleep deprivation can lead to a 30% decrease in insulin sensitivity. Poor sleep quality also affects your hunger and fullness cues.
According to Dr. Dunsmore-Su, if you have only 2 bad nights of sleep, your hunger hormone ghrelin increases by 25%, and your fullness hormone leptin decreases. On top of that, lack of sleep increases endocannabinoid levels in the brain, prompting you to seek pleasure from comfort foods. This is why you’re more drawn to the pastry with your mid-morning caffeine fix or need an M&M’s pick-me-up in the late afternoon – independent of physical hunger.
Are you concerned about weight gain after 40?
Get better sleep with these 4 must-do sleep strategies for women over 40.
1. Create and practice a bedtime routine.
About 1-2 hours before bed, start to wind down your day and relax your mind. Turn off screens and read a non-work-related paper book or magazine. Take a warm bath or shower with a cold water “plunge” at the end to cool your body off and rebalance your nervous system. Pour a cup of herbal tea with relaxing herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, passionflower, or valerian.
2. Don’t go low carb at dinner.
Eating complex carbohydrates like whole grains, beans and legumes, sweet potatoes, and fresh fruit later in the day has been shown to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality. This can be related to the connection between carbs and protein-rich foods. Carbs help convert the amino acid tryptophan in protein into the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin acts like a hormone in your body by delivering messages to your brain to “chill out.”
3. Move your body earlier in the day.
Getting adequate exercise on most days has been shown to improve sleep and reduce stress. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. This includes a brisk walk, a leisurely bike ride, or vigorous chores around the house. Moving your body earlier in the day gives your body an energy boost without compromising your relaxation time in the evening.
4. Consider a sleep-promoting supplement.
Supplements can help you get a good night’s rest but won’t compensate for poor sleep hygiene or lack of a bedtime routine. Supplements to consider include melatonin, especially if you have trouble falling asleep. Magnesium has also been shown to increase relaxation and help you fall asleep. Look for magnesium glycinate or citrate to be most effective on sleep and calming your nerves. Plants like adaptogen herbs such as ashwagandha and nervines like chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower, and skullcap can help relieve stress and help you relax. Make yourself a warm cup of tea with a combination of these plants and sip your way to blissful slumber.
NOTE: always check with your healthcare team before taking any nutrition or herbal supplement.
Papatriantafyllou E, Efthymiou D, Zoumbaneas E, Popescu CA, Vassilopoulou E. Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 8;14(8):1549. doi: 10.3390/nu14081549. PMID: 35458110
