Say what? Many of us would sleep for a month if this were true, so let’s look at how this works. Sleep in fact is even more important than exercise when it comes to weight loss, although we know (a) exercise is very good for us, but (b) we also know it does not cause weight loss. Somehow doing nothing while sleeping – does! It’s all about the hormones which build fat and muscle. Sleeping for more than 6 hours a night will prevent muscle loss – in fact sleeping less than 6 hours decreases the amount of fat lost and increases muscle lost by 55-60%. You don’t want to be burning muscle instead of fat, so get your sleep.
Everyone who is sleep deprived knows it ramps up the appetite and the following day you are a whole lot hungrier than you would be had you had 6-8 hours sleep. And the worst of it is that the kind of hunger is not for salads and steak – it’s for sugary carbs. You will also get sick more often (ie catch a cold or get a sore throat) the less you sleep. By getting enough sleep you will keep your immunity strong. A strong immune system can fight anything!
Here’s the kicker – sleeping less than 8 hours a night or thereabouts causes much more cortisol to be produced, and of course we know that this causes fat around the belly. Just saying. Enough sleep leads to proper muscle growth and recovery. You will age slower and look better, so be sure to get your beauty sleep.
