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We know that now more than ever, there is a growing disconnection between parents and their teens, corporates and their employees, and human interactions in general.
This can cause stress, frustration and many arguments within families and the work environment.
gwunspoken looks at the challenges people of all ages have in their relationships with one another and provides experience and advice, allowing all parties to have a voice.... and feel heard.
Join us to hear corporates, parents, educators, teens and the latest advice of how we can in fact live the life we love, in making authentic interactions, because we know... authentic connection is everything.
gwunspoken
How Your Bad Sleep Is Secretly Making You Gain Weight
Ever noticed how a bad night's sleep sends you straight to the pantry for carbs and sugar the next day? That's not a character flaw—it's biology. When sleep goes missing, your body's chemistry fundamentally changes, setting you up for weight gain even when you're eating well and exercising regularly.
The science is startling. Sleep deprivation increases your hunger hormone (ghrelin) by a third while simultaneously decreasing your fullness hormone (leptin) by 18%, creating the perfect storm for overeating. But it gets worse—studies show that your body's fat-burning capability drops by a staggering 55% after just four nights of poor sleep. That stubborn belly fat that won't budge despite your best efforts? Sleep might be the missing piece of your weight loss puzzle.
We dive deep into how lack of sleep triggers insulin resistance (similar to pre-diabetes levels), elevates stress hormones that promote fat storage, and why those midnight snacks are metabolised so differently than daytime meals. More importantly, we share practical solutions like optimising your sleep environment, strategic meal timing, protein-rich foods that regulate hunger hormones, and the crucial role of morning sunlight in resetting your metabolism.
This episode unpacks the profound connection between sleep quality and weight management that most health professionals rarely discuss. Whether you're struggling with unexplained weight gain, stubborn fat loss plateaus, or simply trying to optimize your health, understanding how sleep affects your metabolism might be the game-changer you've been searching for. Listen now to discover how better nights might lead to better days—and a healthier weight.
www.in8code.com
Welcome to another edition of GW Unspoken, where we discuss stuff we don't typically talk about but probably should. And we're here talking sleep and we're up to episode seven. Again, I was going to talk about sleep and our routine, but I think we've done that enough. I'm going to talk tonight about sleep and weight gain and the connection that probably no one talks about. And you know we talk about stuff we don't typically talk about but should, and this is one. So let's talk about you.
Speaker 1:Have you ever noticed that after a bad night's sleep you suddenly crave all the carbs, all the sugars and it's deep fried? It turns out. That's just not you being angry, it's actually science. There's a huge connection between sleep and weight gain and no, it's not just because you're too tired to hit the gym. Poor sleep messes with your hunger hormones and it increases the cravings and even slows your metabolism. So if you've been struggling with your weight, despite even eating healthy and exercising, your sleep just might be that missing piece in your formula. So tonight we're going to unpack how bad sleep makes you hangrier, hungrier, slows fat loss and messes with your metabolism, and maybe what you can do to fix it.
Speaker 1:A while back I went through a phase where I was sleeping terribly too much, late night, watching movies, too much caffeine, and it was definitely an inconsistent schedule. I didn't change my diet at all, but somehow I was gaining weight. I remember one morning, after only about four hours sleep, I went to the fridge and stared at a massive bag of spinach. Did I want the spinach? Absolutely not. Did I want pancakes and a muffin and possibly an entire pizza for breakfast? Absolutely yes. And I just didn't want it. I felt like I needed it. It turns out I wasn't crazy. My body was literally hijacking my appetite. And the more I researched, the more I realized sleep is one of the biggest factors in weight management, and yet no one talks about it enough. And of the biggest factors in weight management, and yet no one talks about it enough.
Speaker 1:And here's a problem Sleep deprivation increases hunger and cravings. The lack of sleep disrupts your hunger hormones, particularly ghrelin Now, that's a hunger hormone and leptin? And leptin is a hormone that tells you you're full. And a study from the University of Chicago found that people who slept only four hours a night had 33% higher ghrelin levels and 18% lower leptin levels, meaning they're significantly hungrier than well-rested people. And guess what? When we're sleep-deprived, we don't crave healthy food, no, we crave high-carb, high-sugar foods because the brain is looking for quick energy and this explains why, after a night of bad sleep, you're suddenly drawn to junk food like a moth to a flame. It's also a reason why our fast food chains do so well, because when you're starving, you're always craving things like salt and sugar, and that's the thing that it's fueling insulin. So when those places like Macca's are calling those cravings to us and the kids in the car oh Macca's, oh Macca's are calling those cravings to us and the kids in the car oh Macca's, oh Macca's, oh Macca's it's because there's not enough protein in their diet and actually starving for those foods, because that's what your brain is seeking.
Speaker 1:Here's another problem Poor sleep slows your metabolism. Here's where it gets even worse. Bad sleep doesn't just make you eat more, it also makes your body burn fewer calories. There's another study I was reading from Annals of Internal Medicine, and they found that just four nights of sleep deprivation reduced fat metabolism by 55%. That's huge, and that means your body holds onto fat more easily when you're not sleeping well. If that wasn't bad enough, another study found that sleep deprivation leads to higher levels of cortisol, that stress hormone, so that elevated stress tells your body to store fat, particularly around your stomach. So if you've been struggling with that belly fat, despite eating well and exercising, that sleep or that lack of sleep could be sabotaging yourself Interesting.
Speaker 1:Here's another problem Late night eating and insulin resistance. So sleep deprivation also increases insulin resistance, which means your body has a harder time processing those carbohydrates. Another study from Stanford University found that just one week of poor sleep reduced insulin sensitivity by 30%, which is the same level seen in people at risk of type 2 diabetes. So not only that, but staying up late increases that chance of late night snacking. I know I've been guilty of that, I know how many times I've been. Can't sleep. Go down to the couch, chuck on an episode of Seinfeld know it's a bad thing. And then suddenly, after about half an hour, I'm like I think I need a bowl of Nutri-Grain and go straight to the fridge, get the milk out and a massive bowl. I basically have breakfast at 11 o'clock at night.
Speaker 1:Studies show that people like that, like me, who eat late at night, tend to consume more calories overall, and that's usually from, again, processed foods, because that's what your brain is seeking. So when you eat late, your body doesn't process food as efficiently, which leads to weight gain over time. So I don't know if you guys are the same I don't know if anyone else feels the same or you've had those late nights. Maybe you're someone who works late like a truck driver, or getting late from home from work, and you're stressed and you're starving, and maybe you had those foods that aren't quite as healthy for you. So let's look at some solutions. We talked about some problems here. Here's some solutions.
Speaker 1:Number one prioritize deep sleep for fat burning. Your body burns the most fat during deep sleep. It's called slow wave sleep. So the more quality sleep you get, the better your metabolism functions. So to increase that deep sleep, focus on consistent bedtimes, a cool room temperature they're actually saying now about 16 to 19 degrees, which is quite cool. And don't be like me. Avoid screens before bed. Okay, and especially I'm talking about TV screens myself, but I know people on the phones and mobile phones are even worse because they've got that bright blue light in them.
Speaker 1:Number two cut late night eating. Give your body at least two or three hours before your last meal, before you go to bed, and this helps regulate those blood sugar levels ensures your body isn't trying to digest food when it should be resting and just repairing. Here's another one how about you balance your hunger hormones? So to prevent sleep deprivation from hijacking your appetite, aim for that seven to nine hours of sleep per night, also eating protein-rich meals, which I talked about before, during the day, because that can help regulate that ghrelin and also leptin, which keeps those cravings in check. So protein's your friend. Here's another one how about you manage your cortisol with a nighttime wind-down routine? So the elevated cortisol? We talk about it a lot, like that stress hormone, because that's the thing that can often keep you awake, if you can. That from poor sleep leads to fat storage, remember that. So reduce stress hormone before bed with maybe some breath work.
Speaker 1:I know my wife at the moment is reading a book on breathing Meditation. That's a huge one too Stretching or reading. I like to read a book now, about 20 minutes before bed, instead of doom scrolling social media. So swap your TV, swap your Netflix, swap your tablets, swap your social media, swap your gaming. Do 20 minutes of reading of something that maybe you're interested in and I know it's not probably as exciting or riveting or dopamine enriching, as if you're watching TV or Netflix or drama, whatever you're doing. But get into it. Get into that habit Honestly. It makes a massive difference and you'll probably get your bed of sleep. And here's the last one Expose yourself to morning sunlight.
Speaker 1:We've talked about this before, about circadian rhythm and controls your metabolism, and one of the best ways to regulate it is by getting natural light exposure in the morning. Our farmers used to do it. They used to get up in the morning when it was dawn and then they'd go to bed or they'd start getting prepared in the evening when the sun went down. So sunlight helps balance that melatonin and cortisol and improves sleep at night and boosts the fat metabolism during the day. So try that. Try some of these things. If you're not getting much sleep or you're wondering why you can't get rid of that midsection of your stomach and you're eating well and you seem to be exercising a lot and you think, well, I can't get rid of it. Maybe it's the sleep, maybe you can't kickstart that metabolism. So some of these ideas can help. So, with your journal, try this Again. Please write this down, take the time to do this. It'll take you like five minutes. Here's some calls to action for your journal entry.
Speaker 1:Number one think about a time when you had a bad night's sleep. Did you notice an increase in hunger or cravings the next day? How did it impact your food choices? I know it does for me. If I go with my mate, dave, and go fishing, get up early, often leave here about 3, 3.30 in the morning by the time we go deep sea fishing. If I'm bored and not catching fish, I will start eating. And often they'll say why are you eating for? And it's like I don't know. I think I'm just bored, all right. So how does it actually impact your food choices if you have a bad night's sleep or lack of sleep? So write down.
Speaker 1:Number two track your late night eating habits. Are you eating close to bedtime? How might adjusting your mealtime affect your sleep and metabolism? Can you do that? That In your work role? Can you do that If you're studying out there and you're a student and you're suddenly hungry? Can you change that around? And the third one what's one small change you can make to improve your sleep quality this week? Could it be reducing screen time before bed, creating a wind down routine, like we said about maybe reading for something different or maybe adjust your meal schedule. I'd just like you to try some of these things if you're struggling with sleep. It has a massive impact on, yes, our diet, which we talked about, also our weight gain, but also mentally and how we actually can function for ourselves and also towards others, and I look forward to you tuning into our next episode of Season 8 with Sleep, and we'll be up to our Episode 8, our last one in the series.