Effective weight loss while sleeping: How good sleep supports your diet success

Do you want to lose a few kilos and get in top shape before the end of the year? Then go to bed!

Now you're probably wondering how sleep can have a positive effect on your six-pack? We'll explain it to you.

Sleep and weight loss: what does science say?

On the one hand, of course, if you spend more time in dreamland, you have less time to stuff yourself with cheat meals and snacks. Logical, right?

Secondly, Nedeltcheva and colleagues published a paper in 2010 that examined the influence of sleep duration on weight loss.

The subjects were allowed to sleep (or spend time in bed) for either 8.5 hours or only 5.5 hours per night for 14 days while maintaining a moderate calorie deficit.

More sleep, less fat – what the study shows

Although both sleep times led to approximately the same overall weight loss (about -3kg body weight), the devil is in the details:

While the subjects lost 0.6 kg of body fat with 5.5 hours of sleep, they lost a full 1.4 kg with 8.5 hours of sleep. On the other hand, the loss of fat-free body mass was 1.5 kg with 8.5 hours of sleep and a full 2.4 kg with 5.5 hours of sleep.

More sleep as part of a calorie-reduced diet leads to better body composition (i.e. a better ratio of muscle mass to fat mass).

As always, the study has some limitations. For example, during the study period the subjects only consumed 18% of their calories in the form of protein. As part of a calorie-reduced diet, a high protein intake is recommended in order to minimize the loss of fat-free mass. 

However, sleep deprivation also increased hunger and reduced the basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories burned at rest) – neither of which is particularly beneficial if you want to lose weight.

Sufficient sleep therefore appears to play an extremely important role in maintaining muscle mass during a calorie-restricted diet.

Practical tips for your diet: sleep, exercise, and get protein

We have the following practical tips for a successful diet:

• Moderate calorie deficit with high protein intake (with 2.5 g per kg of body weight you are on the safe side)
• Regular strength training to stimulate protein synthesis and maintain muscle mass
• Supplementation of micronutrients ( vitamins & minerals ) to prevent deficiencies during the diet

And last but not least

• Go to bed ON TIME !

While we’re on the subject of sleep, do you know our Ashwagandha Sleep ?

Maybe we should categorize it as a fat burner in our online store based on the study by Nedeltcheva et al. What do you think?

What you definitely shouldn't miss out on are our fantastic discounts! To make your journey to your fitness goals even easier, we have some of our top products on sale - including our popular Ashwagandha Sleep and our outrageously delicious Melatonin Gummies for a restful night's sleep!