Adults as well as children have reduced their sleep comparing to what has been recorded a few decades ago. This may be attributed to the usage of electronic gadgets such as mobile phone as well as TV. It has also become an admirable behavior in the society to sleep as little as possible. This has gone to the extent that some people even brag about it. Lab study experiments have provided enough evidence to prove that people who sleep inadequately are at a higher risk of obesity and weight gain.

To achieve the necessary goal in weight loss, people give up eating their favorite foods in the name of dieting and also strain themselves, spending their valuable time while exercising, meanwhile, is it not pleasant news to know that sleeping adequately can effectively aid in weight loss in the most natural way. So let us get lazy to make proper use of this arsenal.  An expert based in Delhi by the name Dr. Lovneet explains that an adult deprived of 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night; finds it almost impossible to reduce weight even when all other aspects of weight reduction are strictly adhered to.

Sleep plays a significant role in regulating the production of our hormones. The utilization of carbohydrates is regulated by the production of Insulin (hormone). Thus, insufficient sleep can increase the glucose levels in the blood. Carbohydrate metabolism in such conditions can in turn lead to increased storage of fats, mainly in the visceral region. The same condition also occurs when the cells in the human body become Insulin resistant due to lack of sleep.

 Lack of sleep can increase the production of a stress hormone called Cortisol, which will trigger the body to store fat as more fuel is required for the extra hours that a person is awake.  The production of hormones like Leptin and Ghrelin are regulated by sleep. The primary role of these hormones is to cause appropriate appetite. Lack of sleep is known to trigger hunger leading to overeating which in turn causes overweight. It has also been reported that sleep-deprived people have a carving for high calorie foods.

People who do not get enough sleep always feel fatigue and sleepiness, which does not allow them to do any exercise. When a person sleeps well then the Resting Metabolic Rate will be at high which means that person will effectively burn more energy giving less chance for storage of fats. So in a nutshell, sleep boosts metabolic rate.

Imagine a car having mechanical defects that affects its proper functioning. Now, this mechanical defect cannot be fixed when the car is moving; the car has to be stopped for repair works. Similarly, the human body has to undergo sleep for fixing the worn out tissues. Even in case of infection, the production of antibodies (in response to antigen) will increase to the appropriate level when a person sleeps well and the immunity system is said to be functioning at an optimal level. Assimilation of worn out tissues and production of antibodies will use the available nutrients and prevent them getting stored unnecessarily.

Now we know that improper food habits and lack of exercise are not the only causes for obesity and weight gain, but there is a third culprit involved, which is lack of sufficient sleep. The most important concern is that lack of sleep causes obesity and in turn obesity also results in lack of sleep as the sleep hormone: Melatonin is not produced to the optimal extent.  This forms a vicious cycle as one intensifies the other. The first best remedy to such condition is awareness. Once the person is aware of such vicious cycle, then they will try to get sleep rather than prefer to watch a movie as an excuse.