What if I told you there may be a way to improve testosterone levels, insulin sensitivity, immunity, cognitive function, mood and decision making… all for free!!
Interested?
No, this isn't the latest super berry which can only be found deep in the jungles of the Amazon, protected by an unruly gang of cayman (they’re like alligators).
I’m referring to sleep…
Or more accurately, getting enough sleep. Anecdotally, when the sleep subject with clients or friends is brought up it usually follows these lines; “James, have I ever mentioned you resemble a more aesthetic Ryan Gosling? Also, I struggle to sleep/wake up frequently/sleep like crap most nights!”
Before we get too deep, I’ll clarify that the research indicates that negative effects begin when individuals repeatedly (3+ days) get less than 6 hours of sleep with greater sleep loss increasing the magnitude of the negative effects.
What’s also interesting is that while people will notice the physical effects at first, after a period of time this sleep deprived state becomes the norm and they feel that they are functioning at a normal level.1
Our non-stop modern lifestyles have led to sleep becoming undervalued and portrayed as a vice for the weak, lazy or those who aren’t interested in being productive and making the most of everyday.
It’s easy to get caught up in this kind of lifestyle. The feeling that we should or could always be doing something more is common in us driven individuals.
However this often comes at the price of sleep, resulting in reduced productivity and creativity, speeding up the ageing process and hindering your body composition goals.
The opposite to our original plan.
IMPACTS ON BODY COMPOSITION
Epidemiological studies have consistently found associations between sleep deprivation, obesity and diabetes risk. Those who sleep less tend to be bigger and heavier. However, these kinds of studies cannot prove causation. Funnily enough we have a few clinical studies that can shine some light on how this may occur.
INCREASED ENERGY CONSUMPTION DUE TO ALTERED APPETITE REGULATION
Bad news guys, our bodies have evolved with some pretty effective ways to derail our body composition goals. Two hormones within the body that play major roles in appetite regulation,leptin (a satiety hormone) and ghrelin (stimulates hunger) are both influenced by sleep.
In healthy individuals eating sufficient calories, leptin will tell the brain we are eating enough and therefore we will feel full between meals. Ghrelin spikes before a meal to make us hungry before rapidly falling after. When in an energy deficit the balance between these hormones shifts with ghrelin levels rising, increasing hunger and leptin decreasing resulting in a greater appetite and less satisfaction.
Sleep deprivation accentuates this effect! Short sleep duration can decrease leptin and increase ghrelin levels. In calorie controlled conditions after only 2 days of sleep deprivation (4 hours) leptin decreased by 18% and ghrelin increased by 28% compared to 8+ hours. These measurements also matched well with subjects self-reported feelings of increased hunger and appetite. To make matters worse, increases in hunger and appetite were found to be for calorie-dense types of food.
DECREASED INHIBITIONS AND POOR DECISION MAKING
A number of studies have now highlighted the role the prefrontal cortex (emotional responses and behaviour) plays in food choice.
When healthy individuals are deprived of sleep their brains begin to show similarities to patterns seen in obese subjects. Both sleep deprived and obese subjects show reduced activation within this brain region when presented with calorie dense food stimuli, meaning a decreased ability to curb and control emotions and behaviour.
A 2015 study by myself showed that saying no to a salted caramel kronut with only 4 hours sleep is near-impossible…
Thus, not only does lack of sleep disrupt hormones that increase hunger, but it’s associated with reduced activation within a brain region that is critical for regulating behaviour… a decline which leads to excessive food consumption and poorer food choices! See you later moderation, hello Golden Gaytime ice cream!
DECREASED MUSCLE & INCREASED FAT?
In 2010 a group of researchers investigated the impact of sleep deprivation during dieting situations. This is probably a pretty common scenario when you consider the amount of people overweight or unhappy with their current body image and the busy lifestyles we live.
The researchers had a group of healthy adults sleep 5.5 hours or 8.5 hours a night for a 2-week period while also eating in a moderate energy deficit. Both scenarios resulted in a loss of 3 kg of weight over the 2-week periods.
While the group sleeping 8.5 hours’ lost roughly equal amounts of fat vs. fat free mass (50/50) the 5.5 hour group lost only 25% fat mass while 75% was fat-free mass! That’s 2.4 kg of fat free mass (not necessarily all muscle).
The sleep-deprived group also had a lower respiratory quotient showing that the body was relying less on fatty acids for fuel.
So what does this mean?
Remember ghrelin?
There is data to suggest an increase in ghrelin may reduce energy expenditure, promote fat retention and increase the production of glucose from the liver to support tissues that rely on glucose for fuel such as the brain and nervous system.
A promising hypothesis that may explain the above results is that during periods of sleep deprivation there is an increase in catabolic hormones (breaking down muscle) and a decrease in anabolic hormones (building muscle) within the body. Essentially this results in the body losing lean body mass due to protein breakdown being higher than protein synthesis. When an individual is dieting this already occurs to varying extents and is why we increase protein and try to maintain performance in the gym to maintain the muscle we built.
This study indicates that when you’re dieting, getting enough Z’s may be vital to maintaining as much muscle as possible which can greatly influence how successful your diet is. When sleep deprived, it appears that your body will up regulate already present negative hormonal adaptions, which in turn will result in you burning less fat and breaking down more muscle for fuel. The opposite of what all dieters should be striving for!
So what is optimal and how can I improve my sleep?
Research indicates that the optimal amount of sleep is between 7-9 hours. It’s important to remember that sleep differs both between people and within yourself, so perhaps you have had a more mentally stimulating day or your training volume has increased recently. These things can result in an increased need for sleep.
7 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP!
1. Reduce caffeine consumption 4-6 hours before bed. Although you may not feel it, caffeine’s effect on the body can last up to 5-7 hours. While many think that it doesn’t affect them falling asleep it does reduce slow wave sleep (SWS) - a stage of sleep researchers believe is vital to health.
2. Reduce the use of electrical devices before sleep or look into downloading a program likef.lux for your electronics to reduce blue light during the evening which can disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythms and melatonin production resulting in disrupted sleep.
3. Establish a bed time routine. Dim the lights, drink tea, read a novel (fiction not work documents or research journals) etc. and most importantly try to stick to a usual sleep time.
4. Design a sleep-friendly environment. No need to be one of those creepy over 20 year olds with a bed full of stuffed toys… I’m referring to making your room light free by buying thick curtains or an eye shade, have a cool room… as in temperature. The National Sleep Foundation suggests a room between 15-20 degrees is best. Reduce noises or if this is out of your control include some kind of white noise. I swear by a fan all year round. This may mean investing in a decent mattress and pillows you find comfortable. It’ll save you money in the long run.
5. Have sex! Sex boosts oxytocin (a hormone that makes you feel connected to your partner) and lowers cortisol (a stress-related hormone). Plus, having an orgasm releases a hormone called prolactin, which makes you feel relaxed and sleepy. I hear it’s also pretty awesome in a lot of other ways too.
6. Practice mindfulness meditation or exercises. There is nothing worse than your brain refusing to tune out due to thoughts and worries playing like a loop inside your head. Practicing some form of relaxation, meditation or mindfulness can help bring your mind to the present. I find the app Headspace is quick and easy or try thinking or writing down three things your grateful for to fall asleep with positive thoughts.
7. If all else fails consider supplementation. While I would advise trying to fulfil the above options first, sometimes supplementation is a viable option. Melatonin is the obvious choice, but requires a doctor’s prescription within Australia. Valerian root, Lemon balm and magnesium while not directly influencing sleep, may help reduce stress, anxiety and act as a sedative before bed.
Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on supplements that may or may not be effective at improving your body composition, ensure the foundation principles are solid. It’s worth investing effort into improving sleep habits which will most likely have a greater benefit and for a very cost effective price.
