Is losing weight while you sleep a pipe dream or is it real? Instead of hitting the gym you hit the mattress and sleep off those pounds. Don’t believe it? There is some evidence to suggest that there is a connection between sleep and losing weight.
First thing to consider are the hormones, Leptin and Ghrelin. Leptin is the energy balancer that controls how much food we eat. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates the food intake. It has been suggested that there is a decreased level of Ghrelin in cancer patients who are losing weight. If there is a decreased amount of Leptin being delivered into the central nervous system this will cause weight loss.
To sum it up, an increased level of Leptin is good and an increased level of Ghrelin is bad. In order to lose weigh there must be appropriate level of each hormone.
Where does sleep fit in to all this?
Both Leptin and Ghrelin are hormones that are produced mostly at night. If you don’t get enough sleep your level of Leptin goes down and your Ghrelin level goes up. This is a recipe for weight gain.
It has been stated that sleep apnea patients may have a decreased level of Leptin that may be why so many people with sleep apnea are obese. But recent studies haven’t come to that conclusion.
Another reason that sleep helps with losing weight is that people who sleep more are more rested and have more energy. Therefore they rely less on sugar loaded foods to get them through the day.