I wanted to write this blog post last month, but I’ve been too busy and sleepy – both of which have proven to be detrimental to my waistline. And apparently I’m not the only one. There is a strong relationship between sleep loss and weight gain. Research shows:
- Adults and children are more likely to be overweight and obese the less they sleep at night.
- When people are allowed to sleep eight hours one night and then half that amount on another, they end up eating more on the days when they’ve had less sleep.
- Losing just a few hours of sleep a few nights in a row can cause people to pack on an average of about two pounds.
- Sleep deprivation has many underlying effects: The stress hormone cortisol climbs and markers of inflammation rise. Hormones that stimulate appetite increase, while hormones that blunt it drop. People become less sensitive to insulin, raising their risk of Type 2 diabetes.
And in a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications , when subjects were bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived, they strongly preferred the food choices that were highest in calories, like desserts, chocolate and potato chips. The sleepier they felt, the more they wanted the calorie-rich foods. In fact, the foods they requested when they were sleep deprived added up to about 600 calories more than the foods that they wanted when they were well rested.
Yep, that pretty much explains why Starbucks may have to invent a double platinum VIP card if I keep buying TNFCTLs* at this ridiculous rate. Nonfat? Yes indeed. Caffeine-free and sugar-free? Not so much.
My need for this little bit of legal crack has quadrupled since adding baby #3 to the mix in July. Not only am I totally running Cafe Physique while purposefully participating in the “3 kids three and under club,” I’m also attempting to actually live out what I teach by exercising and eating well. Somehow, some way, I’m able to make all of that work (Thank you, God!), but alas, I actually am not Wonder Woman – despite rocking the underoos back in the day.
The thing that I’ve sacrificed is my eight hours of ZZZ’s. Despite what most people think, sleepless nights are not the result of infant cries. In fact, he sleeps soundly next to me without more than a tiny whimper when he’s ready to nurse. He’s not the problem at all. The issue is that I don’t go to bed early enough to compensate for the non-negotiable “Maaammmaaa!!!” call that I must heed each dawn. I stay up writing/answering emails, doing payroll, reading piles of things I really want to read, followed by reading piles of things I really need to read. I could go on and on, but let’s get back to the real problem:
I’m not getting enough sleep, and it shows…in my belly.
So starting tonight, I’m going to start getting all eight of my hours. Won’t you join me?
*Tall nonfat chai tea lattes – If you knew what I was talking about without peeking, you too are terribly and regrettably addicted.
