Sleep and weight management are two aspects of our health that are intrinsically linked. It’s widely recognized that getting enough sleep is crucial to helping us maintain a healthy weight – but is the opposite true? Does losing weight help to optimize our sleep health?
In this post, we endeavor to answer just that, exploring how being overweight can directly hamper your sleep, and contrastingly, how losing weight can lead to better sleep quality overall.
Does being overweight affect your sleep?
Before understanding how losing weight can promote better sleep, it’s important to discuss how excess weight can be detrimental to our forty winks. There is a strong correlation between poor sleep quality and obesity. Sleep apnea is a common problem that causes your breathing to stop and start at intervals throughout the night. While anyone can develop this serious condition, excess weight is one of the major risk factors, and 70% of people living with sleep apnea are also obese. Fatigue is another symptom of obesity, and if you lack energy during the day, it can be harder to establish a consistent schedule during the times you should be asleep, which can lead to more restless nights.
How losing weight impacts sleep
Naturally, getting to a healthier weight will reduce the chances of experiencing the issues listed above. Beyond that, losing excess body fat can promote better sleep in several ways.
Blood sugar control
Losing weight makes it easier for our bodies to control blood sugar levels. At night, people with high blood sugar are more likely to experience interrupted sleep, often needing to go to the toilet. On top of this, you may notice feeling more tired during the day, which again can reduce your quality of sleep.
Exercise and sleep
Living an active lifestyle is essential when looking to lose weight in a healthy way. Fortunately, doing more exercise can have a direct impact on your sleep, by burning up more energy to help us feel tired at night, while alleviating daytime drowsiness. However, it’s worth noting that doing too much high-intensity exercise too close to bedtime can have the opposite effect, and make it harder to wind down and drift off. Consider the timing of your workouts for optimal sleep health – it’s generally recommended to avoid vigorous exercise one to two hours before settling down for the night.
The value of mental health
Losing weight helps our bodies in so many ways. One outcome that’s often discounted is the benefit to our mental health. Going on a weight loss journey and seeing positive results can boost our self-esteem, reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, and generally put us into a more positive state of mind. The benefits of this will be evident in your day-to-day life, but better mental health also has the potential to improve sleep health drastically.
If you’re living with mental health issues, it can be more difficult to switch off at the end of the day and get a full night’s sleep. When we feel happier about ourselves and life in general, there’ll be one less thing getting in the way of uninterrupted sleep, which in turn helps you to feel happier the following day.
