How Sleep Quality Impacts Weight Maintenance

Weight Maintenance as a Destination Goal

Imagine your body is like a car, and sleep is the fuel it needs to run efficiently. When you don't get enough sleep, it's like running your car on empty or using low-quality fuel. Just like a vehicle sputters and struggles to perform without enough fuel, your body struggles to function optimally without adequate sleep. 

A functional medicine approach can be a helpful tool for maintaining a healthy weight. This article reviews how sleep quality may impact one's ability to maintain a healthy weight and how a functional medicine approach might support this goal.

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How Sleep Quality Impacts Weight Maintenance

The cycle of weight gain and poor sleep highlights the importance of addressing sleep habits to support healthier lifestyles and manage weight effectively. About 42% of adults in the U.S. are considered to have obesity, and nearly 35% of adults get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep each night. So, it's essential to prioritize good sleep to help manage weight.

What constitutes good sleep? Good sleep is defined as a person’s satisfaction with their sleep experience. Good sleep quality ensures a person feels rested, has improved cognitive abilities, and has more positive relationships. When a person experiences poor sleep, it can have an adverse impact on maintaining a healthy weight. Lack of quality sleep impacts the body in these ways:

• Hunger hormones may make it more difficult to say “no” to unhealthy food options. 
• It may lead a person to crave unhealthy, high-calorie foods. 
• It may negatively impact how a person’s body processes sugar, potentially leading to increased fat storage. 
• It may make a person feel tired and unmotivated to exercise, so getting enough movement throughout the day can be more challenging. 

Weight Maintenance and Sleep Quality

Ghrelin and Leptin Hormones

Poor-quality sleep can disrupt key hormones related to weight maintenance. These hormones include ghrelin, which regulates hunger, and leptin, which promotes satiety. 

A study that followed 3,000 participants for five years showed that 13.5% developed metabolic syndrome, and of those patients, 46.9% were women. Metabolic syndrome was most common among adults who slept 6 hours or less per night and lowest among those who slept 7-9 hours per night.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that include: 

• Increased blood pressure 
• High blood sugar levels 
• Excess body fat around the waist 
• High cholesterol or triglyceride levels 

Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity and metabolism are closely correlated with weight maintenance and sleep quality. Poor sleep quality may impair glucose metabolism and promote insulin resistance.

Findings from an 18-year study of 16,000 healthy individuals showed that sleeping less than 6 hours per night significantly increased the risks of central obesity, elevated fasting glucose, high blood pressure, low HDL, hypertriglyceridemia, and metabolic syndrome. The researchers concluded that sleep quality significantly impacts metabolism.

Unintended Consequences of Sleep Medications

About 30% of adults in America have insomnia. Poor sleep quality can lead some to use prescription sleep medications such as Zolpidem (Ambien). Research suggests that the use of prescription sleep medications regularly may lead to nocturnal eating and weight gain.

Five Tips to Improve Sleep Quality

How does a person attain high-quality sleep and maintain a healthy weight? Here are five tips to potentially improve your sleep quality: timing of meals, caffeine intake, establishing a regular sleep routine, regular exercise, and avoiding screen time close to bedtime. See Table 1 for an overview of sleep hygiene recommendations.

1. Meal Timing

Consuming large or spicy meals close to bedtime can cause discomfort and disrupt sleep. Additionally, irregular eating patterns or skipping meals may negatively impact circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles. To enjoy optimal sleep quality, consider consuming a non-spicy, high-protein, low-fat meal closer to bedtime. 

2. Caffeine Intake

Consuming caffeine too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep patterns. Findings from a meta-analysis showed that caffeine reduced sleep time by 45 minutes and sleep efficiency by 7%. The ideal consumption of caffeine was at least 8 hours before anticipated bedtime and as much as 12 hours before bedtime for higher caffeine drinks. Caffeine reduces the amount of REM sleep a person experiences at night, which is the most restorative form of sleep (The Science of Sleep). Consider skipping that afternoon coffee if you'd like to improve your sleep quality.

3. Sleep Routine

Having a regular sleep routine is essential to optimal sleep. Research has shown that having a poor sleep routine may contribute to metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Promoting consistent bedtime and wake times are critical to optimal sleep. Setting an alarm to go to bed and wake up can be helpful. Incorporating sleep hygiene practices, such as establishing a regular bedtime routine, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and limiting exposure to electronic devices before bedtime, can help promote a regular sleep schedule and improve overall sleep quality.

4. Exercise

Regular exercise is vital in maintaining a healthy weight and health. Exercise is also essential to improving sleep quality. Findings from four systematic reviews showed that exercise improved sleep quality. Specifically, aerobic exercise, when paired with mindfulness, improved sleep quality in those with insomnia. Moderate aerobic exercise combined with light-intensity strength improved sleep efficiency. 

Avoid screen time too close to bedtime

While we all may enjoy a little streaming binge before bedtime, it’s best to turn off screens at least one hour before bedtime if you want to get the best quality sleep. 

Researchers have found that screen time may negatively impact sleep by:

• Melatonin disruption: Screens for two hours or more in the evening can cause melatonin suppression.
• Blue Light Effect: Screens emit blue light, suppressing melatonin and interfering with our circadian rhythm.
• Long-Term Negative Impact: Prolonged screen exposure before bedtime may increase the risk of sleep disorders.

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Key Takeaways

• High-quality sleep may contribute to maintaining a healthy weight.
• Poor sleep quality makes it challenging to maintain a healthy weight due to its potential negative effects such as: 

1. Hormonal disruptions such as increased Ghrelin and decreased Leptin
2. Reduction in metabolism
3. Increase in insulin resistance
4. Negative impact on exercise

• Tips for improving sleep quality:

1. Avoid high-fat, spicy foods close to bedtime 
2. Avoid caffeine consumption late in the day
3. Establish a regular sleep routine
4. Exercise consistently
5. Avoid screen time close to bedtime 

Sweet dreams! 

Sleep Hygiene Recommendation Details

Sleep Hygiene Guidelines - Recommendations for optimal sleep quality.