A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health.
In fact, it’s just as important as eating healthy and exercising.
Unfortunately, the Western environment is interfering with natural sleep patterns.
People are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has decreased as well.
Here are 10 reasons why good sleep is important.
Poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain.
People with short sleep duration tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate sleep (1, 2Trusted Source).
In fact, short sleep duration is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity.
In one extensive review study, children and adults with short sleep duration were 89% and 55% more likely to become obese, respectively (3Trusted Source).
The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be mediated by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise (4Trusted Source).
If you’re trying to lose weight, getting quality sleep is absolutely crucial.
Studies show that sleep-deprived individuals have a bigger appetite and tend to eat more calories.
Sleep deprivation disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation (2Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
This includes higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, and reduced levels of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite (6Trusted Source).
