{"id":56970,"date":"2017-03-16T07:15:59","date_gmt":"2017-03-16T11:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=56970"},"modified":"2017-03-29T01:30:18","modified_gmt":"2017-03-29T05:30:18","slug":"sleep-schedule-metabolism-weight-gain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/sleep-schedule-metabolism-weight-gain\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Sleep Schedule Wrecking Your Metabolism?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Is
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We get it. Netflix, Facebook, Instagram and email can all be stellar distractions to keep you from putting your head on a pillow. But there\u2019s good reason to make sleep<\/a> a top priority (yes, even above The Bachelor<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Research shows that mixing up your bedtime by more than an hour won\u2019t just impact your energy levels<\/a>, but it could also affect your weight. In fact, a study published in the journal SLEEP<\/em><\/a> last year discovered that bedtime variability had a negative effect on metabolic health.<\/p>\n

Called the Study of Women\u2019s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), scientists looked at 338 non-shift working, middle-aged women and their 14-day sleep diary and then gathered follow-up data via\u00a0another two-week diary approximately five years later<\/span><\/span>. They found that the greater the difference in bedtime and the later they hit the hay, the higher their insulin resistance<\/a>. Researchers also found a correlation between more time spent in bed (or going to bed earlier than average) and higher BMI, most likely because that meant more sedentary time.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Bedroom Makeover: 9 Feng Shui Tips for Better Sleep<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had the opportunity to examine normative sleep patterns in relation to metabolic health outcomes,\u201d says study co-author, Briana Milligan, doctoral candidate at the University of Pittsburgh in the bio-health psychology program. \u201cOur hypothesis was that women with very late and\/or very irregular sleep schedules would also have poorer metabolic health profiles,\u201d she says. (That means higher BMI<\/a> and higher insulin resistance levels.) And the results confirmed this.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking closely at the data, we also found that weekday-weekend differences in bedtime were especially important,\u201d says Milligan. Other health experts agree that it\u2019s your overall sleep patterns<\/a> that matter. \u201cIt’s not just about getting consistent bedtimes during the week, it’s consistent bedtime all the time,\u201d says Robert Oexman, DC, director of The Sleep to Live Institute in Mebane, NC.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>The Hidden Ways Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Weight Gain<\/a><\/p>\n

How Bedtime Affects Your Weight<\/h2>\n

According to the American Diabetes Association<\/a>, as of 2012, 29.1 million Americans had diabetes, and approximately 1.4 million Americans receive the diagnosis each year. The SWAN study suggests that irregular sleep schedules<\/a> may be an important piece of the diabetes puzzle, says Milligan.<\/p>\n

As mentioned, the findings from the SWAN study suggest that avoiding a regular sleep schedule increases insulin resistance. This is an important indicator of metabolic health, including diabetes risk, because it means your body isn\u2019t doing a good job of regulating blood sugar.<\/p>\n

So how does that affect your waistline? After we consume food, the body breaks it down into sugars<\/a>, transported by insulin, and converts it into fat tissues and glycogen stores. \u201cThe storing of sugar and using of the stored sugar follows a circadian rhythm,\u201d says Milligan. \u201cDuring the daytime, we\u2019re storing a lot so we can use it for basal metabolic function, and then our brain and body function optimally while we sleep,\u201d she says. When you go to bed late, your body packs the sugar away and eventually, those stores become full and get converted into fat cells, Milligan explains. And by continuously delaying the release of melatonin<\/a> (a hormone associated with sleep), the body keeps storing sugar rather than using it, says Milligan. Theoretically, this is why poor sleep could be linked to poor metabolic health.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>6 Signs You\u2019re Exhausted (Not Just Tired)<\/a><\/p>\n

Findings from earlier sleep studies<\/a> go even further to say that a sleep debt of four hours a night from participants\u2019 regular eight hours resulted in striking changes in glucose tolerance and endocrine function, impacting the body\u2019s hormones and metabolism. Follow-up research<\/a> to the that\u00a0study showed that short sleepers experienced hormonal changes that could affect future body weight<\/a> and impair long-term health. That\u2019s because to keep blood sugar levels normal, the limited sleepers needed to make 30 percent more insulin than the normal sleepers.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, people who don\u2019t sleep adequately show an increase in appetite<\/a> and calorie intake, Oexman explains. The level of leptin (the satiety\u00a0hormone) falls in subjects who are sleep deprived, therefore promoting hunger. \u201cBecause the psychological manifestations of fatigue, sleep and hunger are similar, as adults, we sometimes confuse them,\u201d Oexman\u00a0says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Bedtime Rituals To Help Banish Your Insomnia<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Common
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6\u00a0Tips for Sticking to a Consistent Sleep Schedule<\/h2>\n

To help you set a sleep schedule you\u2019ll actually stick to \u2014 and keep you on track \u2014 we asked our sleep experts for their best bedtime advice. Read on for more solid zzz\u2019s.<\/p>\n

1. Beware of social jet lag.<\/h3>\n

Oexman says his patients tell him that they sleep in on the weekends to make up for the sleep they didn\u2019t get during the workweek. \u201cInstead of only sleeping six or seven hours during the weekday, now you\u2019re going to go and spend 10 or 11 hours sleeping in on the weekends,\u201d he says. This is called \u2018social jet lag,\u2019 which can involve staying up late during the week for social occasions and then getting up early for work, Oexman explains. Or staying up later on the weekends to hang with friends and sleeping in late. Both of these scenarios can throw off your circadian rhythm<\/a> for the rest of the week and may lead to changes in BMI and insulin resistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to get very good sleep every night and I emphasize that people should try to get equal sleep every night,\u201d says Abid\u00a0Malik, MD, Orlando Health, South Seminole Hospital Sleep Disorder Center. Whether that\u2019s seven to nine hours, you should get that every night, so when the weekend comes around, you\u2019re not in a sleep deficit\u2026and you can get up at the same time on the weekends as you do on the weekdays.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Is It All In Your Gut? The Sleep-Gut Connection<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Exercise at prime time for sleep.<\/h3>\n

\u201cPeople are staying up until 11 p.m., 12 a.m., even 1:00 a.m. to get their workout in at the sacrifice of sleep because it’s good for them, right?\u201d asks Oexman. Turns out, those late night gym sessions<\/a> could be doing more harm than good. \u201cThese late-night exercisers are often fighting to keep weight off,\u201d Oexman says.<\/p>\n

While exercise can be great for sleep, you have to time it right. Aim to finish your workout three to four hours before you plan to snag some shut-eye, Oexman suggests. We experience a spike in body temperature post-exercise, but to sleep, we actually need it to drop. \u201cThat’s one of the cues for our bodies to go to sleep,\u201d Oexman explains. \u201c[Exercise] is a great way to help you fall asleep and get good sleep,\u201d so long as you break a sweat on the early side.<\/p>\n

3. Regulate your caffeine intake.<\/h3>\n

Always turning to caffeine<\/a> to keep you awake? You may want to step away from the Starbucks. \u201cIt’s this vicious cycle that people succumb to: They don’t get enough sleep at night, so in order to maintain alertness during the day, they chug energy drinks and highly-caffeinated beverages,\u201d Oexman says. \u201cThen when it comes time to go to bed at night, they\u2019re probably not going to sleep as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caffeine can actually have a half-life of up to 12 hours. So aim to switch to a decaf beverage (or just sip water<\/a>) by 2 p.m., according to sleep experts<\/a>. \u201cEven if you don’t think it impacts your ability to fall asleep, it\u2019s probably interfering with sleep quality,\u201d says Oexman.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How Much Coffee Is Too Much?<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Taper your meal sizes.<\/h3>\n

Eating late at night<\/a> can impact insulin and is associated with higher obesity rates, according to research<\/a>. Try to get your last meal in a few hours before bedtime. A good goal for your evening routine: If you plan to go to sleep at 11 p.m. and wake up at 7 a.m., finish your workout by 7 p.m. and have a small dinner<\/a> soon after, suggests Oexman. That should give your body optimal time for digestion, so you get good sleep and your body is able to regulate blood sugar levels.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is one of the areas Milligan and her research team plans to continue research in, too. \u201cIrregular sleep schedules may also be associated with irregular meal times and may act on metabolic health by increasing calorie consumption during nighttime hours,\u201d says Milligan. \u201cPrevious research has also shown that the ability to metabolize glucose is higher early in the day,\u201d she says. Late-night snackers, consider yourselves warned.<\/p>\n

5. Have a relaxation routine.<\/h3>\n

Start preparing for bed 30 minutes to one hour prior to laying down for sleep, suggests Oexman. Two eight-ounce glasses of tart cherry juice<\/a> have been shown to increase quantity and quality of sleep, so this would be a good time to drink a glass (early afternoon for the first), says Oexman. A hot bath or shower is also a good idea, as well as some light stretching<\/a> in a dimly lit environment, Oexman suggests.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can\u2019t establish a stable bedtime routine, just make sure you wake up at your regular time the next day,\u201d suggests Milligan. \u201cThis can help you stick to a regular bedtime the next night.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How Do You Measure Up To These Sleep Statistics?<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Create a dark, quiet space.<\/h3>\n

Light<\/a>, and especially sunlight, has the greatest influence on regulating our sleep-wake cycle, says Oexman. \u201cGet as much sunlight as you possibly can get during the day and then, as you approach bedtime, start taking light away,\u201d he says. Of course, many people view artificial light at night via TVs and tablets, which decrease melatonin production, a hormone we need for quality sleep. \u201cThat really impacts our circadian rhythm,\u201d says Oexman.<\/p>\n

Give yourself at least 45 minutes away from electronics and light devices to prep your body for sleep, suggests Dr. Malik. \u201cThis will hopefully stimulate the melatonin to secrete and then you\u2019ll not only be able to fall asleep sooner, but you\u2019ll get better sleep, too,\u201d says Dr. Malik.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Setting a consistent sleep schedule (weekends included) has a big impact on your health \u2014 and weight. These expert tricks will help make that bedtime stick. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":56974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,13],"tags":[232,192,280,341,408,285,113],"class_list":["post-56970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-sleep","tag-hormones","tag-metabolism","tag-sleep","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2sleep","tag-weight-loss","tag-wellness"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56970\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}