Following your weight loss surgery, it is important to ensure that you are taking care of all aspects of your health, and following a healthy and well-balanced diet to optimize your weight loss. Sleep and weight loss are closely linked, how you sleep can greatly affect your weight loss. What you eat for dinner may affect how well you sleep at night. Brazilian researchers conducted a sleep lab and found that a high-fat diet may be as bad for your sleep patterns as it is for your waistline.
In general, researchers found that the more fat you eat during the day, the more likely you are to:
- Toss and turn during the night.
- Wake up more frequently
- Experience abnormal breathing while sleeping.
- Spend less time in REM, the sleep state during which dreaming occurs.
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is especially important for the body to be able to heal, regenerate, and restore itself from the stresses of the previous day.
Furthermore, your last meal of the day may be the most important one when it comes to determining how well you sleep. Researchers analyzed the fat content of individual meals eaten throughout the day and found that eating a fatty dinner at night was more likely to cause sleep disruptions, even if you ate healthy earlier in the day. A high fat diet can affect both sleep and weight loss in multiple ways.
Getting a good night’s sleep that involves adequate time in REM is essential for good physical and mental health. Lack of REM sleep is often to blame for a feeling of fatigue the next day. During your weight loss journey this can cause setbacks and minor complications such as:
- Increased appetite
- Lack of motivation
These things could derail your weight loss efforts or possibly lead to weight regain.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep for Weight Loss
Sleep is an essential part of your health. When you sleep well, you are better prepared to have a productive and energized day. After weight loss surgery this is an important part of your journey, so you want to be sure to eliminate any habits that could be harmful.
Your weight loss diet should already be low in fat and consist mainly of fresh produce, protein and fiber due to your stomach’s now limited capacity. But, if you decide to indulge, be sure to limit your intake and make sure to consume these foods well before you decide to hit the hay. Otherwise, you may be sabotaging yourself in the long run.
If you would like to learn more about how sleep and weight loss go hand in hand call us in Albertville at 256.840.5547 or in Guntersville 256.571.8734.
While you are on our blog check out our article on power foods for weight loss.
