Sleep more to lose belly fat

Are you getting enough sleep? We know that sleep protects our immune system, mental and physical health. Not only does it help to get at least 7 hours a night, but quality sleep also makes a difference. Especially when it comes to abdominal fat.

We ignore or trade sleep for other priorities, however, without sleep, we won’t be as productive or effective. While trading sleep for time is common, other factors affect our ability to get a good night’s sleep.

Trading sleep for work, entertainment, or technology is common and the effects are universal. Less sleep increases abdominal obesity. Not only do people eat more when they sleep less, but they also tend to do less physical activity. However, loss of sleep on its own is a risk for increasing belly fat.

A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that a lack of sleep increased total abdominal fat by 9% and increased abdominal visceral fat by 11%. Visceral fat is inside the abdomen around internal organs and causes cardiac and metabolic diseases.

Even if total weight gain was only one pound.

In this small study, 12 lean, healthy participants lived in a supervised setting for three weeks with a good night’s sleep and then three weeks with sleep restriction. The participants had three months in between each supervised setting.

They could eat any type of food that they wanted during the three weeks. Food intake, exercise, body weight and body composition were measured throughout the study. The sleep-restricted participants ate around 300 calories more per day with 17% of those calories coming from fat. With most of it deposited in the abdomen.

If you want to lose belly fat make sure you get enough sleep with these tips.

Want more tips to improve your sleep? Read Sleep is Good For Everything.

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla