Have you been managing your calories, maximising your exercise, and still feel you can’t shift the scales? The problem may be your sleep, or lack thereof.
As our lives get busy, it can be hard to fit everything we need to do within 24 hours. Often that leads to a sacrifice of our sleep. Sleep needs vary from person to person, and can range from six to ten hours. Sleep is important for several physical and mental functions of the body, and it plays a big role in weight management.
The effects of reduced sleep on weight management include:
- Changes in your hunger hormones
Ghrelin is a hormone that increases hunger, and leptin is a hormone that increases satiety, or the feeling of fullness. With reduced sleep, studies found an increase in ghrelin and a decrease in leptin causing increased hunger and drive to eat.1,2,3,4 Cortisol, a stress hormone that influences weight gain, is also increased in the evening after a poor night’s sleep.4 This increases the feelings of hunger, and leads to weight gain particularly around the abdomen. Read more about the impact of cortisol here. - Impaired sugar regulation and insulin resistance
Poor sleep affects your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, leading to higher sugar levels in your blood after meals.3,4 This increased resistance to insulin can increase the risk of weight gain and also the risk of diabetes. - Increased cravings for high energy foods
Studies have shown that even short periods of sleep deprivation can lead to areas of the brain craving high calorie foods such as sugary or salty foods the next day.4,5 This can make it harder to stick to your planned meals. - Reduced energy expenditure in the day after poor sleep
Reduced sleep can lead to a reduced metabolic rate, and even one night of sleep deprivation can lead to reduced daytime energy expenditure.2,6 - Difficulty regulating emotions
Lack of sleep can also affect stress levels and mental health. It may be harder to cope with change or stressful events, and to regulate emotions.3 This also may lead to snacking, emotional eating or craving high calorie food. - Difficulty losing fat mass despite maintaining or losing weight
Studies have shown that even when following a strict calorie deficit, sleep deprivation led to less fat mass loss despite similar weight loss to the group with normal sleep.4,7 This means sleep deprivation may result in unfavourable changes in body composition even if weight is still being lost.
There are numerous mechanisms that poor sleep can affect your weight loss journey, and is therefore as important to consider as nutrition and physical activity. Having a regular sleep pattern and maximising your sleep to your body’s requirements are essential in giving yourself the best chance to lose weight. If you are struggling to manage your sleep on your own, please speak to your GP or Sleep Psychologist.
References:
- Spiegel K, Tasali E, Penev P, Van Cauter E. Brief communication: Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Dec 7;141(11):846-50. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-141-11-200412070-00008.
- Beccuti G, Pannain, S. Sleep and obesity. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2011 Jul;14(4):402–412. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e3283479109
- NIH. How Sleep Affects Your Health. National Heart and Blood Institute. Updated June 15, 2022. Accessed Nov 5, 2025. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation/health-effects#:~:text=Sleep%20plays%20an%20important%20role,pressure%2C%20obesity%2C%20and%20stroke.
- Papatriantafyllou E, Efthymiou D, Zoumbaneas E, Popescu CA, Vassilopoulou E. Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 8;14(8):1549. doi: 10.3390/nu14081549
- Benedict C, Brooks SJ, O’Daly OG, et al. Acute sleep deprivation enhances the brain’s response to hedonic food stimuli: an fMRI study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Mar;97(3):E443-7. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-2759.
- Benedict C, Hallschmid M, Lassen A et al. Acute sleep deprivation reduces energy expenditure in healthy men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Jun;93(6):1229-36. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.110.006460.
- Wang X, Sparks JR, Bowyer KP, Youngstedt SD. Influence of sleep restriction on weight loss outcomes associated with caloric restriction. Sleep. 2018 May 1;41(5):10.1093/sleep/zsy027. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsy027.
