We talk a lot about sleep and how we should be getting 7+ hours a night. But why??? Here we’re showing the ways in which chronic lack of sleep inhibits weight loss and body recomposition. Over the last decade+ there has been a reduction in average sleep of 1.5-2 hours. Now an extra 1.5 hours of sleep may not sound massive in the grand scheme of things, but when it chronically occurs it can alter your metabolism. If this isn’t enough information to get you sleeping more regularly, there’s tens of other reasons beyond this, too! Reasons directly related to metabolism incude:

• Increased ghrelin - Ghrelin is a hormone produced and released mainly in the stomach and stimulates appetite and promotes fat storage
• Decreased leptin - Letpin is a hormone produced mainly in the small intestine and helps to regulate energy balance by inhibits hunger and diminishes fat storage
• Increased hunger/appetite
• Decreased glucose tolerance
• Increased cortisol levels in the evening
• Descreased insulin sensitivity

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So next time you go to set your alarm, remember to reflect on how many hours of sleep you get on average!

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