When it comes to weight loss, sleep tends to be overlooked as a lifestyle factor, with most of us tending to worry more about diet and exercise.
In reality, sleep plays a vital role in keeping you healthy.
That applies to weight loss too.
Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis can lead to a higher risk of obesity, higher body fat, and less success with dieting (even if you’re counting calories).
To put it plainly, not getting enough sleep can slow your dieting efforts and make you put on extra pounds.
Because sleep is so important for keeping your metabolism in check, not getting enough rest can slow down how fast you burn calories, which means you could end up putting on more weight even if you’re eating the same number of calories.
Today we bring you a guide to improving your sleep, as well as an FAQ section to answer your every question!
How to improve your sleep quality
Thankfully there are some things you can do to boost your sleep quality and give that diet the best chance of working.
Keep reading to find out how to get your sleeping pattern back on track, improve the quality of your sleep, and lose weight.
Improve your sleep with a routine
One of the most important things you can do to get regular, good-quality sleep, is sticking to a consistent sleep schedule.
Our bodies are ruled by biological rhythms or body clocks. Like any well-oiled machine, regularity is the key to everything working smoothly.
Having a good sleep routine helps to keep our natural rhythms in sync, which helps to keep our appetite and metabolism in check, making it easier for you to stick to that diet, burn off calories and lose weight.
It’s super easy to build your perfect sleep routine, and by sticking to a couple of things (like a consistent bedtime and a wind-down routine), you can improve your sleep and start smashing your weight loss goals.
Good sleep hygiene boosts your sleep quality
Another great way to improve your sleep, feel more rested, and set yourself up for effective weight loss is to practice good sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene is all about building certain habits in your sleep routine and creating the ideal bedtime environment.
Sleep hygiene makes it easier to fall asleep and can take the stress out of bedtime, so you can sleep easily and avoid the inconvenience of lack of sleep.
Our guide walks you through the dos and don’ts of sleep hygiene and shows you how to create the ultimate sleep environment.
So that you can boost your sleep quality, feel energized, and be in the best shape to make real progress on your weight loss journey.
Meditation is great for stress and sleep
Stress is something that affects all of us, and it can have a pretty bad impact on our sleep.
One way of improving your sleep quality is to cut out some of the stresses of life.
Meditation is the perfect way to get there.
It can take care of stress, and make it easier to fall asleep and get a great night’s rest.
Meditation and mindfulness are a great addition to your wind-down routine and just the thing for relaxing at the end of the day.
There are great exercises out there (from breathing techniques to guided meditations) that can be tailored to your needs!
These exercises are super simple, most don’t require any equipment, making them the perfect (and free) stress-busting tool.
They can be done anywhere, anytime, and the best thing?
Even 5 minutes at the end of the day can improve your sleep and keep you on track for a healthy lifestyle.
What things affect your sleep quality?
Can your sleeping position improve your sleep quality?
You might wonder what sort of things can affect your sleep quality, and if there are certain ways to sleep that will help with weight loss.
People frequently ask if there’s the best sleep position for weight loss, so we came up with a handy guide.
You can find out the right sleeping positions for a better night’s sleep, and see which ones suit you.
The position that you sleep in can have a real impact on how well you sleep.
Some are better for certain aches and pains, but the wrong positions can lead to longer-term problems, which can be bad for your health and can even affect your dieting efforts.
Finding out which sleeping position is best for you can boost your chances of great quality sleep, a key foundation of a healthy lifestyle that can help you achieve your weight loss targets.
Does timing matter for weight loss?
Timing is important for almost everything in life, be that meeting with your boss, how busy the gym is, and especially sleep.
Our bodies run on daily cycles that control everything from our hormones and our appetites, to how fast our metabolisms work.
Sleep is a huge factor in keeping these daily cycles, or ‘body clocks’, in check.
Making sure that everything is running smoothly is key when you’re trying to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.
The time that you go to sleep can have long-lasting effects, and if you’re not careful could end up damaging your weight loss efforts.
Is time as important as consistency? How do I know what time works for me?
You can find the answers as well as work out your ideal bedtime to boost your chances of hitting your dieting goals.
Is sleeping in the afternoon bad for weight loss?
Everyone has the odd nap in the afternoon every now and again, but what effect can that have on your weight?
The impact of sleeping in the afternoon is bigger than you’d think, it can lead to disrupting your sleep quality as well as putting on extra pounds.
Sleeping in the afternoon can disrupt your sleep schedule and internal body clock, making it much harder to lose weight.
Luckily we’ve got loads of helpful hints and tips to keep you from dropping off in the afternoon.
If you really can’t avoid that afternoon snooze, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.
We’ve included a handy guide to napping like a pro to help you avoid any knock-on effects that could hamper your weight loss efforts.
How important is improving my sleep for weight loss?
Sleep is pretty important for weight loss, and for a healthy lifestyle in general.
It can help keep your metabolism working like it should and keep your appetite in check, so getting the right amount of good quality sleep is key to your weight loss efforts.
However, you might have guessed, sleep alone isn’t going to help you lose weight.
A good sleep schedule is only part of successful weight loss, and in order for you to really see some progress, it needs to be built into a lifestyle that considers what and how you eat and your metabolic health too.
If you’re serious about weight loss and want to see some real change then Miboko is the app to turn to.
We’re all different, and there is no one size fits all approach to weight loss and healthy living.
That’s why Miboko uses real-time data from your own body to give you tailored recommendations, completely unique to you.
You can log your goals and track your progress, all while getting personalized support and advice from our experts about exercise, wellness, and much more.
Say goodbye to fad diets, and say hello to the future of healthy living.
