#360fit: Why a lack of sleep could make you fat

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  • The optimal amount of sleep that we should be getting is 7.5 hours of unbroken shut eye.

    We all know how important sleep is for your overall health. But did you also know that a lack of sleep could cause weight gain?

    How much sleep is enough?

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    The optimal amount of sleep that we should be getting is 7.5 hours of unbroken, quality shut eye. Some people may need more due to exercising at intense level, however most healthy adults can live on between 6-8 hours, without any issues.

    I need to emphasize how important it is that the sleep is deep and unbroken. This is to ensure that not only your immune system regenerates itself but also that your entire body goes into rest and repair mode. There are so many reasons that this can become tricky, as you may need food or drink in the middle of the night, needing the toilet or having a topic on your mind such as work or loved ones.

    Without the adequate amount of sleep, your hormones get deregulated and therefore cause havoc with your brain. For example, Leptin is your appetite hormone, which tells your brain when you’re hungry. If you don’t get enough sleep, your Leptin hormone increases, and therefore will tell you that you need to eat more, when really there’s no need.

    There’s also the hormone Ghrelin, which as you’re eating, will tell you when you’re full. Lack of sleep suppresses this hormone, thus delaying this message, therefore causing you to continue to eat.

    By striving to get a good night’s sleep every night, this will help you with your weight control goals and to not give you mixed messages to eat unnecessarily.

    Lack of sleep suppresses the Ghrelin hormone, therefore causing you to continue to eat.

    What else will a lack of sleep do?

    1. Impairs attention, alertness and concentration

    2. Can cause risk of heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes

    3. Increase in depression

    4. Ages skin

    What can I do to improve my sleep?

    How many of us go to bed and stare at our phones, computers or ipads? The majority of us I say, which is one of the issues. These devises give off blue light and frequencies that keep our brain wired. So when it’s time for our bodies to rest, our mind is still active on our emails, to-do lists or Facebook. Instead, why not read a book? You will find that you drop off to sleep much easier and calmer. Other measures you can put in place could be:

    1. To go to sleep at the same time every day: this gets your body and mind into a routine and will help you to fall asleep easier

    2. Ensure your room is as dark as possible: this will help with your sleep hormone that is melatonin. Switch off any small lights that appear in your room also, as it has been proven that even the smallest disruption to the dark can affect your sleeping levels.

    3. Try a white noise application: if you live in a noisy neighborhood or there is a party going on in your building, try downloading a white noise app on your phone. This will play out the soothing sounds of the sea, or the rainforest, or a fire crackling for example. The goal is to focus your hearing onto the sounds which will then mask the noises that are keeping you awake.

    Matthew Graham is the GM of Talise Fitness Emirates Towers

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