When completing continuing education on Sleep (Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker PhD), I learned some really interesting studies and facts about how our sleep effects our health and weight.
Take my 3 question Pop Quiz and assess your knowledge:
1. Compared to those who sleep 7-8 hours a night, adults (age 45+) who sleep <6 hours/night are how much more likely to have a heart attack or stroke in their lifetime?
a) 50%
b) 75%
c) 100%
d) 200%
2. According to research by Dr Eve Van Cauter, cravings for which 2 foods increase by 30-40% when sleep deprived? Mark two.
a) Fatty foods
b) Protein-rich foods
c) Sweets
d) Salty foods
3. There was a study of overweight men and women who stayed in a medical center for 2 weeks and lost significant weight. In the sleep deprived control group (just 5.5 hours of sleep a night), what percentage of the pounds lost came from lean body mass (muscle)?
a) More than 40%
b) More than 50%
c) More than 60%
d) More than 70%
Answers (no peeking before answering the questions):
1. d, If you consistently sleep less than six hours a night, you are 200% more likely to have a heart attack or stoke in your lifetime.
2. c and d, When sleep deprived, you will most likely have 30-40% more cravings for sweets, salty snacks and processed carbs.
3. d, When trying to lose weight but also sleep deprived, you will be losing mostly muscle (70% lean body mass).
In the control group who got 8.5 hours of sleep, 50% of their weight loss came from fat while preserving muscle. It’s obvious that the body is stingy about giving up fat when the body is sleep deprived.
Bottomline, it’s impossible to lose weight if you are sleep deprived or your sleep patterns are sporadic.
Sleep is just one piece of the large metabolism puzzle.
So many people just focus on diet and exercise but in order to lose weight (and keep it off), you have to heal your metabolism with your daily routines and lifestyle habits.
If you want a real solution (a sensible and proven process) to gain control of your health and your weight, click here to learn more about who we help and how we help our clients achieve transformational results
What you should do next …
✅ Register for my Nutrition Class: 3 Realistic Solutions to Rev Your Metabolism so you can Drop Weight Naturally Without Deprivation. And after class, you will receive a gift (My Favorite Balanced Breakfast Recipe Book). I recommend you register early; spaces are limited!
✅ Sign-up for my 3-Day Eating Reset: Tame your sugar cravings without feeling deprived. You will receive my step-by-step guide to stabilize your blood sugar with a done-for-you menu plan, simple recipes, and shopping list.
✅ Schedule a FREE Metabolism Mastery Call: This is a no pressure phone conversation with our health coaches. Let’s dive into your specific challenges and goals to figure out what next steps are best for you.
About the Author
Hello, I’m Betsy Markle. I’m a Registered Dietitian and Holistic Nutritionist with over 20 years of experience. Living a busy life with 3 kids and a passionate career, I understand the importance of realistic nutrition, exercise, and balanced living.
Women tend to put the needs of everyone else before their own. My passion is to empower women to create a healthy lifestyle that they love and can stick with forever.
Here at Sunshine Wellness, we are proud to help women lose weight effortlessly, overcome cravings, and revive energy so they can heal their metabolism, ditch the diet mentality, and love their bodies.
