You already know that a good night’s rest charges you with enough energy to hit the gym, but research suggests that sleep itself helps you shed pounds—and that skimping on shut-eye sabotages weight loss efforts.
In a Case Western Reserve University study of more than 68,000 middle-aged women, those who slept for less than 5 hours each night were 32% more likely to gain 33 pounds or more over the course of the 16-year study, compared to those who got 7 to 8 hours of rest.
“When people are sleep-deprived, several things happen that can affect one’s ability to lose weight,” explains clinical psychologist Michael Breus, PhD, a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Metabolism will slow down, appetite will increase, and certain hormones are affected.”
Consider this your free pass to turn in early and pull the flannel sheets up over your head. Here, we’ll walk you through five ways that beauty rest can help you fight fat.
