Some of us have secretly wished for a “weight loss cure” that works while you sleep. Wish granted…

When you don’t sleep, your body produces more of a hormone called ghrelin. One of its many functions is to stimulate appetite. Lack of sleep can also cause your body to produce less leptin hormone that controls your satiety signaling (sense of fullness) and your ability to burn fat.

So how important is sleep?

If you don’t get enough sleep, not only will you be more tired, you’ll be more hungry, and have a tendency to crave “comfort” foods that are high in fat promoting, inflammation causing carbohydrates and fats.

If you spend any time at all reading this blog, you know that we are big believers in balancing hormone levels to achieve permanent weight loss.

A lack of sleep also increases your cortisol levels. Cortisol is your ‘stress‘ hormone, which can promote visceral fat storage around your waist. We all need ways to relieve stress. Getting proper amounts of sleep can help relieve the symptoms of stress.

More and more research regarding this has shown that chronic sleep deprivation can be a huge contributing factor in excess weight. Itcan also increase your chances of  becoming obese.

Tags: cortisol, ghrelin