Can staying up late lose weight? The short answer is no. Staying up late not only disrupts the body’s metabolism but also has the potential to cause a number of dangerous conditions or diseases, such as obesity.
Table of Content
1. Can staying up late lose weight?
2. The importance of sleep in losing weight
3. The impact of staying up late on body health
One of the questions about staying up late that is often asked is whether staying up late can lose weight. Many people have been associating a night’s sleep with an unfit body condition, so the assumption arises that staying up late can make you thin. However, the actual reality is not so.
Lack of sleep or sleep habits that are not ideal such as staying up late can indeed affect health and weight. However, the reality is not as many people have assumed. Staying up late is not the right way to lose weight.
Can staying up late lose weight?
If you have to answer the question of whether staying up late can lose weight, the short answer is no. Because there is no research that can prove it until now.
Various studies on sleep deprivation and its relation to body weight even tend to give the opposite result, namely staying up late can cause weight gain and increase the risk of obesity.
Here are some facts that refute the assumption that staying up late can make you skinny.
1. Decreased sleep time is directly proportional to increased risk of obesity
Reporting from the Sleep Foundation, Americans tend to experience a decrease in the amount of time they sleep over time.
At the same time, their average body mass index (BMI) actually increased, as did obesity rates. Therefore, from this data, it can be concluded that the statement that staying up late can make you thin is not correct.
2. Burning calories and increasing appetite
When asked whether staying up late can help you lose weight, the answer may be found in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
Based on these studies, staying up late can indeed keep the metabolism active and burn more calories (up to 111 calories). However, on the other hand, the appetite of the study participants who stayed up late (sleeping only 5 hours) became larger and made them overeat.
In the end, this condition tends to make study participants who stay up late experience weight gain by an average of 0.9 kg in one week.
3. Changes in food tastes
Reporting from the New York Times, lack of sleep not only triggers an increase in appetite, but also changes in the taste of the food consumed.
People who are sleep deprived not only eat more, but also tend to overeat foods high in calories and carbohydrates.
This condition can certainly encourage weight gain. So, the question of whether sleeping late can lose weight you can answer with ‘no’.
4. Changes in diet
Still from the New York Times, people who lack sleep can also experience dietary changes. They eat less at breakfast but eat more after dinner.
Calorie intake from snacks consumed after dinner can even be greater than other meals.
The importance of sleep in losing weight
Some of the evidence above should be able to answer the question of whether staying up late can lose weight. On the other hand, you can find scientific evidence of a positive link between getting enough sleep and a healthy weight.
Getting enough and quality sleep every night is an important part of planning to lose weight. Because, getting enough sleep can prevent metabolic disorders and the urge to overeat.
To support your weight loss plan, here are some sleep-related things you can practice.
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule
- Sleeping in a dark room
- Avoid eating close to your bedtime
- Sleep early and don’t stay up late.
The impact of staying up late on body health
In addition to weight gain, staying up late can also have other bad effects on the body. Staying up late can cause the body to feel tired and lethargic from lack of rest, and make the body more susceptible to various diseases.
Lack of sleep can also increase the risk of many serious medical conditions. The side effects of staying up late that cause obesity can also increase the risk of other dangerous diseases that need to be watched out for.
Some examples of diseases that can be triggered by staying up late are coronary heart disease and diabetes.
Reporting from the New York Times, a study showed that people who previously used to sleep 8.5 hours a day then changed to 4.5 hours, experienced a decrease in insulin sensitivity. These metabolic changes have been linked to diabetes and obesity.
In the end, these diseases can shorten your life expectancy. Therefore, you should meet your sleep needs adequately. Ideally sleeping for 8-9 hours a day can help improve your metabolism and overall health.
From the various facts above, you can certainly conclude the answer to whether staying up late can make you thin or not. Sleep is an important part of maintaining overall body health. Therefore, you need to try to get enough sleep every night.