does regulating sleep make a difference

[lynseya]

Hi,

Ive been using the fitbit for 6weeks now - with varied results. I just made some spreadsheets to try and make sense of the data, because there doesnt seem to be much of a pattern to the weight loss. For instance, its just taken me 3 weeks to get from 10st 9lb to 10st 6.4lb.... then it went back up to 10st 9 over 2 days which is really disappointing (yes, i ate more over the weekend, but only 200 odd calories over what was burned). And sometimes i am proper hungry - as in hands shaking and tummy rumbling. I work a a completely sedentary job on 11hour shifts 4 days a weeek, and because im only 5ft 1", fitbit sometimes only says i have 1100calories to eat on the 500cal deficit. (looking to lose another 20lb to get to around 9stone)

Anyways, looking at my sleep pattern its extremely irregular. On a work night, if i get right in to the book i'm reading, my sleep can be as low as 5hours, but on a day off without an alarm on i can sleep for 11 hours! (i sleep like a log, so it feels good quality sleep). Week by week, it does average out as 7-8hours a night.(just very varied in length!!!)

I read lots of pages on the net about how irregular sleeep patterns can affect weight loss. - has anyone ever tried to regulate your sleep pattern and what was the result?

Thanks, Lynsey

[Natalan]

Becoming so hungry that your hands shake is a sign that your blood sugar is too low. It might be worth your while to see a nutritionist to work out a more sustainable calorie goal. 

Anyways, I personally found weight loss to be much easier after sorting out my sleeping pattern. I tended to sleep 2-4 hours a night and that was causing random cravings and late night binge eating. Setting a proper bedtime was one of the best things I did for myself. 

[I-train-hard]

I sleep 6-7 hours almost every day. Best is 8.

No, sleep will not affect your weight so much since weekly you getting enough of it. Your body will regulate it.

How much coffee do you drink? If you do a few cups a day with a sugar of any kind, your hands might shake. That was happening to me. In one day I stopped drinking coffee and almost all the sugar intake. It was a not an easy habit to get rid of.

[lynseya]

usually just 6-8cups tea/coffee a day. but black or with milk/sweetner - no sugar in it! coffee doesnt make me 'awake' etc or stop me sleeping. When i go to bed im asleep within 5-10min tops, and sleep right through!

[I-train-hard]

You have no sleep problem at all.

[iMike]

If you're getting the shakes often you could be suffering from low blood sugar; this is sometimes associated with a conditiion called hypoglycemia.  This happens to me and I've found the best way to combat it is simply to eat something with natural sugar, like a banana or drink a small glass of juice.  Take a look at what you're eating and make sure you're not cutting out too much sugar.  While your body can do without processed sugars, you should be eating enough fruit.

As for your sleep, unless you have a sleep disorder like sleep apnea, then getting five hours of sleep a couple nights and then 8+ on the weekend to make up for it should not have a real impact on your weight.  I developed sleep apnea as a result of becoming overweight, and before I got my CPAP device I had a lot of interrupted sleep.  If you have a partner/spouse, ask them for an honest assessment of your sleeping habits.  Sleep apnea can be easily spotted because you will frequently stop breathing in your sleep, causing your body to briefly "wake you."  Unless this is the case, then what you describe doesn't sound like a sleep problem that would affect your weight.

[Netsky]

You, perhaps, need to eat more protein.  I do the same as you, start to shake, so I have started keeping Jerky or Peanut M&M's in my purse (Doctor's suggestion) as it brings up the sugar, but has protein in the peanuts.  I have found that water is the key to weight loss.  I went to a training and the nutritionist said the minimum is 64oz a day, but the best is to drink 1/2 to 2/3 of your total weight, in water.  It does make a difference.  So does getting 8 hours of sleep a night.  I just saw a study (for people over 50 years old) that states that those who don't get 8 hours of sleep a night, will weigh 37% more than those who do get 8 hours a night.  They said to set a nightly routine (warm bath, nighttime tea, reading, watching TV, etc) and stick to it, so that your body and brain, know that it's time to shut down.

[lynseya]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I was just thinking about it as on the internet i read about a fair few studies that attributed diffitculty in losing weight to lack of sleep - some studies said it slows your metabolism, and some about having sleep under 6 or 7hours reduces the amount of the hormone leptin and increases the amount of ghrelin hormone - which can both cause more difficulty if your trying to lose weight.

So i just wondered if anyone had on purpose went to bed earlier to aid weight loss?

[lynseya]

..... and i have to admit i dont drink water much! I drink mostly coffee/tea/diet coke - water when and after ive been exercising. so i have between none (dont shout at me!) to maybe a litre a day tops.

Water just makes you pee so much! Where as coffee doesnt have as much of an effect on me.... And when you work in a call centre and only have about 7min pee time a day for your allowance then extra piddling will be frowned upon! When i drink water i literally have to pee every hour, really difficult in work when its 2.5/3hours between official breaks!