Having a lie in could be better for losing weight than going to the GYM according to doctors
WITH January in full swing many of us will be setting our alarms a little earlier in order to hit the gym – but according to doctors you should be hitting the snooze button.
Sleep specialist Dr Guy Meadows explains that there is a link between lack of sleep and having a higher body fat percentage.
Speaking to he said: “Sleeping less than 7-8 hours per night is linked to higher per cent body fat.
“Research suggests that people who average 6 hours per night are 27 per cent more likely to be overweight. Those who average 5 hours per night are 73 per cent more likely to be overweight."
Lack of sleep can cause weight gain because without adequate rest, your satiation and hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin, will be out of kilter.
This can encourage cravings, in particular for sweet foods.
Dr Meadows added: “"If you are serious about staying healthy and keeping fit, you are much better off making sleep a priority in your life."
A 2010 study by the University of Chicago found that when those on a diet got a full night’s sleep, more than half the weight they lost was fat.
When they cut back on sleep, not only did this reduce the amount of fat loss to only one quarter, but they also reported feeling hungrier.
And in 2018, scientists found that people who get between seven and nine hours most night also have fewer hunger pangs.
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