A dream diet?
Lose a few pounds by sleeping. It sounds nicer, but above all much easier than eating less and exercising more. According to Jane Worthington, author of the book The Dream Diet, sleeping slim is possible. How does it work? The facts compared.
In recent years, much attention has been paid to the relationship between sleep duration and body weight. Since the discovery of the hormone leptin in 1994, more and more of this connection can be explained. Leptin makes a person feel full after eating.
Researchers have discovered that with too little sleep there is less leptin in the blood, so you don’t feel full. At the same time, there is an increase in another hormone, ghrelin. This hormone actually promotes appetite. If you sleep too little, you will be more hungry and at the same time you will have to eat more before your body tells you that you have eaten enough.
Adults and children
Other studies also show a link between sleep deprivation and obesity. These studies do not look at the hormones in the blood, but only at the sleep time and the weight of the people. A clear relationship can be seen in both adults and children. It seems that the foundation for obesity is laid early on. Because children who are overweight are often overweight later in life, these studies are very important.
Television
Due to stress, electric light, television and the internet, our nights are getting shorter. Because we sleep less these days and there are far more obese people than in the past, it seems clear: we are getting fatter because we go to bed too late. You can of course influence the length of your sleep yourself by turning off the television on time in the evening and reading a book. You will see that you feel like going to bed earlier. During the day you may notice that you are less hungry. In any case, you will be fitter.
No miracle cure
The longer you sleep, the more weight you lose? Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way. Of course you have to get out of bed at some point. In addition, there is mainly a difference in weight between people who really sleep very briefly (five hours or less) and people with an average night’s sleep (seven to eight hours). If you are already sleeping well, sleeping more will therefore have no effect. If you have been sleeping very little or very poorly for a while, a better night’s sleep can ensure that you have less appetite and are satisfied more quickly. However, it is not a miracle cure.
Criticism
Because all of the studies were done in a lab, critics argue that the results are biased. Outside the laboratory, that is, in everyday life, the levels of leptin and ghrelin may be higher or lower. A low leptin level can also rise during the day, and during the studies only one time point was measured. Most importantly, the difference in weight is only a few pounds. If you’re overweight, there are other factors that affect your weight: sleep deprivation isn’t the only reason you’re overweight.
Cause and effect
If you don’t sleep enough, you will be tired during the day. You probably don’t feel like going to the gym then. Maybe you just don’t move enough? Or maybe the relationship just works the other way? People with obesity are more likely to have sleeping problems. So the lack of sleep may not be the cause of obesity, but the consequence.
Also eat less
Getting enough sleep is undoubtedly good for you. If you have sleeping problems, you should definitely try to do something about it. Don’t think the pounds will fly off. Even with enough sleep, you convert excess calories into fat. So make sure you get enough exercise and watch what you eat. Because someone who is tired, has less desire to play sports or to be active, it is also important for children to get enough sleep. Don’t let your kids sit in front of the TV all night. This prevents them from learning bad habits at a younger age and becoming too fat later on.
