Burn Fat While You Sleep

Don’t let a lack of shut-eye time destroy your workouts. Here’s how to sleep yourself slim.

- Sarah Ivory

We all love a good night’s sleep, and, in studies of humans and other animals, scientists have discovered sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning and other vital bodily functions. Head of the Sleep Laboratory at the Wits School of Physiology Dr Karine Scheuermaier, told Iol News that: “There are many kinds of sleep disorders that we’re becoming more and more aware of.” Research done with 200 people in 2013 revealed, “30% of the people, mainly around their fifties and female, had symptoms of sleep apnoea – a disorder.”

Not only does this increase your risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease, but it’s also really bad news for your waistline. “Studies repeatedly show a link between a lack of sleep and an increase in weight,” reveals Sophie Suri, a doctoral researcher in sleep medicine at Teesside University. “And sleep deprivation doesn’t just kill your desire to work out – it results in metabolic and endocrine alterations that can increase hunger, promote fat storage and initiate the breakdown of lean muscle.” Even worse, one bad night is enough to send your system out of sync. “While one late night is unlikely to cause any great harm to health, it can lead to changes in cortisol rhythms and induce insulin resistance,” explains Suri. Guilty of burning the midnight oil? Here’s how a late night affects your weight and how to undo the damage, pronto!

YOU’VE HAD... NO SLEEP