When you’re short on sleep, it’s easy to lean on a large latte to get moving. You might be tempted to skip exercise (too tired), get takeout for dinner, and turn in late because you’re uncomfortably full.

If this cascade of events happens a few times yearly, no problem. The trouble is that more than a third of Americans don't get enough sleep regularly. Yet experts agree that getting enough sleep is as essential to health, well-being, and weight as diet and exercise.

Skimping on sleep sets your brain up to make bad decisions. It decreases activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, decision-making, and impulse control locus.

So it’s a little like being drunk. You don’t have the mental clarity to make good decisions.

Too little sleep triggers a cortisol spike. This stress hormone signals your body to conserve energy to fuel your waking hours.

Translation: not enough sleep = you’re more apt to hang on to fat.

Getting enough sleep may help prevent increases in calorie intake and appetite that can occur when one is sleep-deprived.

Many studies have found that people who are sleep deprived report having an increased appetite and a higher daily calorie intake.

Research also found that when dieters cut back on sleep over a 14-day period, the amount of weight they lost from fat dropped by 55%, even though their calories stayed the same. They felt hungrier and less satisfied after meals, and their energy was zapped.

Sleep deprivation makes you “metabolically groggy," University of Chicago researchers say. Within just 4 days of insufficient sleep, your body’s ability to process insulin -- a hormone needed to change sugar, starches, and other food into energy -- goes wrong. Insulin sensitivity, the researchers found, dropped by more than 30%.

Here’s why that’s bad: When your body doesn't respond appropriately to insulin, it has trouble processing fats from your bloodstream, so it stores them as fat.

Science on balancing appetite-regulating hormones:

Many scientific studies have found that people who are sleep deprived report having an increased appetite and a higher daily calorie intake.

But why might extra sleep matter? Sleep duration has long been linked to the body's production of appetite-regulating hormones. Insufficient sleep is associated with higher levels of the hormone ghrelin, which increases appetite, and lower levels of the hormone leptin, which leads to feeling less full. This sets people up to gain weight. By contrast, sleeping more could alter these hormones and bring them back to balance.

Scientific Studies found that people might also feel more alert, energized, and happier with more sleep. This could lead to more activity, even if it isn't exercise. It may lead to less sitting and more socializing.

Tips for better night sleep habits:

Evaluate bedtime routines to tweak factors influencing sleep duration.
Stick to a schedule, waking up and retiring simultaneously every day, even on weekends.
Create a bedtime ritual. It's not the time to tackle significant issues. Instead, take a warm bath, meditate, or read.
Avoid caffeine after 2:00 pm. Caffeine can stay in your system for 5 to 6 hours.

Conclusion:

Getting enough sleep may help prevent decreases in metabolism.

In other words, not getting enough sleep can sabotage your efforts if you're trying to lose weight.

A lack of sleep is linked to poorer food choices, increased hunger and calorie intake, decreased physical activity, and ultimately, weight gain.

If your weight loss efforts are not producing results, it may be time to examine your sleep habits. Though individual needs vary, most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Getting some rest can make all the difference in helping you reach your weight loss goals.

Sleep Helps To Lose Weight And Keep It Off