Most people do not get enough sleep. Due to work, children, and other responsibilities, sleep is low on the priority list. It’s as simple as that. What’s not simple is finding ways to correct your poor sleep habits. A legitimate, frightening reason may be enough. 

Experts are convinced there is a connection between lack of sleep and obesity. While body acceptance is important, obesity is a very serious situation. It’s not ‘carrying a few extra pounds.’ Obesity is having a body mass and weight that is way over the limit to the point of danger. 

And the problem has only gotten worse with the increase of a sedentary lifestyle thanks to the internet. Add in television with hundreds of channels, and it can be hard to separate from your couch. You can use the internet for good by reading health blogs to motivate yourself into a healthier lifestyle. 

Why Sleep is Important for Health

You may be unconscious while you sleep, but your body isn’t! It is the time when your body recovers from the day’s stress and other stimuli. The truth is, many aspects of sleep are still a mystery to scientists. 

However, they believe that the brain function, among other functions, improves during sleep. Despite this, millions of people do not get enough sleep at night. A study at Harvard revealed a significant drop between 1998 and 2005 in how much sleep Americans were getting. In the late 1990s, 35% of Americans were getting the recommended eight hours of sleep a night. By 2005, that percentage fell to 26 percent. 

While lack of sleep isn’t the only cause of obesity, it is believed to be a contributing factor. How? 

5 Ways Sleep and Obesity Are Connected

As mentioned, sleep gives your body time to recharge. But lack of sleep can promote obesity in other ways, too. 

  1. Lack of sleep increases hunger. Sleep can help regulate the hormones that control hunger. Lack of sleep can make you eat more than you should, leading to obesity. 
  2. Bad food choices are made when overtired. When you’re hungry, you often reach for the fastest, easiest food. That is often the least healthy choice. 
  3. Fatigue during the day leads to a lack of exercise. There is a good kind of tired and then there is fatigue. Fatigue happens when your body doesn’t get enough sleep. Having low energy, heading to the gym to exercise is the last place you want to go. So, your body doesn’t get the exercise it needs to maintain a fit physique. 
  4. If you’re not sleeping, you’re snacking. The more hours you’re awake, the more likely you’ll get ‘bored.’ Many people fill up that ‘bored’ feeling by mindlessly snacking on unhealthy foods. 
  5. Hormones and metabolism are out of whack without a regular sleep schedule. Even if you do get enough sleep, problems can occur if your sleep schedule isn’t consistent. Like a toddler, your body’s sleep schedule needs structure and consistency. Otherwise, your hormones and metabolism won’t work correctly. 

Regular exercise, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep can all combat obesity.