Sleep and Weight: The Most Overlooked Part of the Plan

The short version

Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep a night, and about a third of US adults get less.
Poor sleep makes you hungrier and tends to increase calorie intake.
In one small study, dieters who slept less lost much less fat, even on the same calories.
A regular schedule is the single best habit for better sleep. Loud snoring or gasping should be checked.

How sleep affects weight

You get hungrier. Sleep loss can shift appetite hormones in the wrong direction, and people commonly eat more when they're short on sleep, often in the form of high-calorie snacks.

Your willpower drops. The parts of your brain involved in planning and decision-making work less well, while food looks more rewarding.

You move less. You skip the gym and take the elevator, because you're tired.

Your results may change. In a small but well-known controlled study, 10 dieters ate the same calories while sleeping either 8.5 or 5.5 hours. They lost about the same weight. But on short sleep, they lost 55% less fat and more lean mass, and they felt hungrier. The study was small, but it shows how sleep can affect what you lose.

The link goes both ways. Excess weight can also cause sleep apnea, which ruins sleep and makes weight harder to manage.

How to sleep better

Keep a schedule

Go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, including on weekends. If you change just one thing, change this. Getting up at the same time matters the most.

Protect your wind-down

Dim the lights for 30 to 60 minutes before bed.
Do something quiet, such as reading or a bath.
Keep work and arguments for tomorrow.
Move your phone out of reach, if you can. It's the scrolling, as much as the light, that keeps you up.

Set up the room

Keep it cool, dark and quiet. Many people sleep best around 65 to 68°F.
Use blackout curtains or an eye mask, and earplugs or a fan if you have noise problems.
Use your bed for sleep and sex, not for work or TV.

Watch what you consume

Caffeine: Try stopping by early afternoon. It can hang around for many hours.
Alcohol: It helps you nod off, but disrupts your sleep later. See alcohol.
Big meals: Finish large meals 2 to 3 hours before bed if you can, especially if you have reflux.
Fluids: Reduce what you drink in the last couple of hours if you get up to pee.

During the day

Get daylight soon after you wake up.
Move your body, though very hard workouts just before bed can keep some people up.
Keep naps short, under 30 minutes, and before mid-afternoon.

If you can't sleep

If you've been awake for around 20 minutes, get up, do something quiet in dim light, then go back to bed when you're sleepy. Lying there stressed teaches your brain to link your bed with being awake.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-choice treatment for chronic insomnia. It works better over the long term than sleeping pills, and it's available through clinicians and apps.

Shift workers

Rotating and overnight shifts make this harder, and it's not your fault. Keep your sleep times as consistent as you can, use blackout curtains and earplugs, get bright light during your shift, and avoid caffeine late in your shift. Plan meals in advance so you aren't relying on vending machines at 3 a.m.

Sources

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Please check with a clinician before making big changes, especially if you have a health condition, take medication, or are pregnant. Read the full disclaimer.