Many don’t think about sleep as important when it comes to weight loss. But there could be nothing further from the truth. Sleep is critical to weight loss. Without the proper rest and sleep, weight loss doesn’t even stand a chance. Why?

Sleep is important for our health and well-being. It serves not only as a time for our bodies to rejuvenate and repair but, it also influences the hormones in our body. There are two important hormones when it comes to weight loss: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells us we are full and ghrelin is the hormone that tells us when we are hungry.

When we have insufficient amounts of sleep, our leptin levels go down and our ghrelin levels go up leaving us craving more food and not feeling satiated. Ever wonder why you are so hungry after a night of little sleep?

That is not all though. Lack of sleep can also cause increased cortisol levels (cortisol is the stress hormone),  leading to hunger as well as lower levels of growth hormone, leading to higher proportions of body fat.

So, go ahead make sure you are getting adequate sleep and don’t feel guilty about it.

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