Get Rid of Belly Fat…by Sleeping!
By djsheryl on March 29, 2023
Sleep deprivation is a very real issue for many people and it causes a ton of other issues. Not only is your mood and productivity affected by lack of sleep, but lack of sleep can cause a host of health issues like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and more.
It’s all connected to something called “visceral fat”. This is the fat that your body stores around your vital organs as a protective measure. That’s why you see most of this fat accumulate around your middle. Lack of sleep sends a message from your brain to your organs that the body is in danger. It can also trigger your appetite. In a study, participants who slept for five hours each night gained two pounds in weight over a week because they snacked more.
So how much sleep do you need to prevent and reverse this? According to a new report published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine, you need to get between 7 and 8 hours each night. There’s not much benefit to sleeping more than 8 hours, but anything less than 7-8 hours a night is adding fat to your midsection. When the test subjects started sleeping more, they ate less and started losing the weight.
Best way to ensure better quality sleep? Experts have a variety of suggestions. Some of them include managing stress levels, watching what you eat and drink at night, and creating a sleep schedule. Get more sleep tips from the Mayo Clinic here!
