Numerous studies already point to a link between eating and sleeping habits: if you sleep too little or badly at night, you're more likely to reach for energy-dense foods, have a bigger appetite and feel full later after eating! In the long run, chronic lack of sleep raises the risk of weight gain. But that's not all: chronic sleep deprivation is a serious risk to your health overall! It's not just the length of sleep that matters, but its quality too. With our tips, you can improve your sleep quality for good using simple techniques, and so regulate your body weight better as well.
What exactly is "sleep"?
Sleep is simply a state of low activity. You perceive less and so also react less to outside influences. For you and your body it means mental and physical recovery. Strictly speaking, there are two different types of sleep: the REM phase (rapid eye movements) and the NREM phase (non-rapid eye movements). The phases differ in that brain activity is different in each. While you dream intensely in REM phases and your eyes move behind closed lids, the NREM phase is the deep sleep phase, in which you rarely dream.
Why do we need good sleep?
Sleep is important for your physical and mental recovery! During sleep, more growth hormones are released, which repair your tissue and regenerate your cells. You also process experiences, stressful situations and things you've learned while you sleep. Even a short-term lack of sleep raises the so-called "sleep pressure". Tiredness and exhaustion set in faster, our mood drops, and concentration and performance decrease. Our attention after 17 hours awake is said to be about the same as with 0.5 per mille of alcohol in the blood!
That's why long-term lack of sleep affects your entire body. In terms of your body weight, it also raises your risk of developing metabolic syndrome. This includes being overweight, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular conditions.
The link between sleep and being overweight
Sleep problems are mostly the result of a disturbed cortisol balance. Cortisol is a stress hormone and, in demanding situations, makes energy available in the body. If the cortisol level stays high because of chronic stress, the mobilised energy isn't needed and builds up in the body.
Lack of sleep also affects the hunger and satiety hormones leptin and ghrelin in a negative way. Ghrelin, the appetite-stimulating hormone, is released more, and leptin, the satiety hormone, is produced less. So when you're short on sleep, you get hungry faster, generally have a bigger appetite and need more food before you feel full.
On top of that, the lower energy level we mentioned when you're short on sleep affects your mood: you feel like you need energy-dense, highly processed food (pizza, sweets and so on) to lift your spirits and mood again.
One more point is worth mentioning in connection with sleep and being overweight: with sleep problems you're awake longer and so have more time to eat and end up in a calorie surplus. This can become a vicious circle, because the link works the other way round too. Studies have shown that a high consumption of sweetened drinks and highly processed foods can lead to poorer sleep quality. So make sure your diet is based on fresh, unprocessed foods and that you drink beverages without artificial additives.
Our tips for restful sleep
1. Follow your body clock
The circadian rhythm that your body clock follows lasts 24 hours. It affects several systems in the body, including your sleep-wake rhythm and your hormone system. The rhythm of your body clock depends on numerous factors, including your age and physical activity. In everyday life, though, it's often not possible to stick to these times: work demands such as shift work, but also social occasions, tempt you not to listen to your own rhythm. After all, who goes to bed at 10 at a birthday party?
To improve your personal sleep quality, it makes sense to keep a regular routine as often as possible and to have a consistent sleep rhythm. That means going to bed and getting up at the same time, on weekdays just like at the weekend!
2. Find your ideal amount of sleep!
The ideal amount of sleep is very individual and, for people between 18 and 60, lies between 5 and 10 hours per night. On average, most people feel best rested with 7-8 hours of sleep. Good to know: genetic, medical and environmental factors change how much sleep you need - a body fighting an infection, for example, needs longer recovery phases. Try out which sleep length makes you feel especially awake and aim for it as often as possible. A good sign is when you wake up before your alarm and feel well rested all day.
3. Develop a sleep routine
A "sleep routine" is the collection of habits you do every day before bed to improve your sleep. You should get used to switching off all screens at least one, better two, hours before sleeping. That includes your TV, your phone and your laptop! Ideally you don't even have these devices in your bedroom. An alternative would be, for example, writing a diary. This way you avoid hours of brooding and can get rid of all the thoughts that have built up during the day, or the to-dos for the next day, before you go to sleep.
4. Timing is everything! Also with coffee
In the morning when you wake up, your level of cortisol rises as a natural wake-up call. So it's a good idea to have your coffee only 1-2 hours after getting up, when the cortisol level slowly starts to fall again.
If you're sensitive to caffeine, it's best to avoid coffee and other stimulating substances after 3 pm.
5. Move!
A walk in nature, yoga or progressive muscle relaxation shortly before bed can improve your sleep quality. A lack of exercise, or training sessions that are too intense right before sleep, can have a rather negative effect on your sleep. If you want to sleep well, find a happy medium of exercise and the right time for you.
6. No heavy or large meals right before bed
Ideally, eat your last meal three to four hours before bed so your digestion isn't running at full speed when you fall asleep. The 16:8 intermittent fasting method is a good fit here, where you set your eating window from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, for example. That way you make sure you don't eat anything after 6 pm and your body can digest your dinner before you go to sleep.
7. Eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet!
The same dietary recommendations for a healthy lifestyle also support restful sleep: a balanced, ideally plant-based diet with natural foods! To lower chronically raised cortisol levels, attention has to be paid to how the adrenal glands work. You can support them by making sure you get enough vitamin B6, B5 and C as well as magnesium and zinc.
Our conclusion:
Short-term and long-term lack of sleep has a negative effect on your mental and physical health. In the body it weakens your endocrine (hormonal) and metabolic systems, so lack of sleep favours being overweight. If you follow our tips and tricks, it can support your sleep quality and your health. If you find it hard to get out of bed, you can also give yourself a natural boost with one of our frank shots.
Numerous studies can already prove the link between eating and sleeping habits: if you sleep (too) little or badly at night, you reach more often for energy-dense foods, have a bigger appetite and feel full only after a delay when eating! In the long run, the risk of weight gain is increased with chronic sleep deprivation. But that's not all: chronic sleep deprivation puts your overall health at serious risk! Not only the duration but also the quality of sleep plays an important role. With our tips you can improve your sleep quality sustainably with simple techniques and so also regulate your body weight better.
What exactly is "sleep"?
Sleep is nothing more than a state of low activity. You perceive less and accordingly react less to outside influences. For you and your body it means mental and physical recovery. Strictly speaking, there are two different types of sleep: the REM phase (rapid eye movements) and the NREM phase (non-rapid eye movements). The phases differ in that brain activity is different in each. While in REM phases you dream intensely and your eyes move behind closed lids, the NREM phase is the deep sleep phase, in which you rarely dream.
What do we need good sleep for?
Sleep is important for your physical and mental regeneration! During sleep more growth hormones are released, which repair your tissue and regenerate your cells. You also process experiences, stressful situations and things you've learned in your sleep. Even short-term sleep deprivation raises the so-called "sleep pressure". Tiredness and exhaustion set in faster, our mood drops, and concentration and performance decline. Our attention after 17 hours awake is said to be roughly the same as with 0.5 per mille of alcohol in the blood!
So long-term sleep deprivation affects your whole body. In terms of your body weight, your risk of developing metabolic syndrome also goes up. This includes the individual aspects of excess weight, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular conditions.
The connection between sleep and excess weight
Sleep disorders mostly result from a disturbed cortisol balance. Cortisol is a stress hormone and, in demanding situations, makes energy available in the body. If the cortisol level is permanently raised through chronic stress, the mobilised energy isn't needed and builds up in the body.
In addition, sleep deprivation negatively affects the hunger and satiety hormones leptin and ghrelin. Ghrelin, the appetite-stimulating hormone, is released more, and leptin, the satiety hormone, is produced less. So with sleep deprivation you get hungry faster, generally have a bigger appetite and need more food until you feel full.
Beyond that, the lowered energy level already mentioned has a negative effect on your mood when you're short of sleep: you feel you need energy-dense, heavily processed food (pizza, sweets, etc.) to lift your mood and spirits again.
One more aspect should be mentioned in connection with sleep and excess weight: because of sleep disorders you're awake for longer and so have more time to eat and end up in a calorie surplus. This can lead to a vicious circle, as the connection can also work the other way round. Studies have shown that high consumption of sweetened drinks and heavily processed foods can lead to poorer sleep quality. So make sure to choose fresh, unprocessed foods in your diet and to drink drinks without artificial additives.
Our tips for restful sleep
1. Follow your inner clock
The circadian rhythm, which your inner clock follows, lasts 24 hours. It affects several systems in the body, including your sleep-wake rhythm and your hormone system. The rhythm of your inner clock depends on numerous factors, including your age and physical activity. In everyday life, though, it's often not possible to keep to these times: work pressures, for example shift work, but also social occasions tempt you not to listen to your own rhythm: after all, who goes to bed at 10 pm at a birthday party?
To improve your personal sleep quality, it therefore makes sense to keep to an even routine as often as possible and have a consistent sleep rhythm. That means going to bed and getting up at the same time, on weekdays just like at the weekend!
2. Find your optimal amount of sleep!
The optimal amount of sleep is very individual and, for people between 18 and 60, lies between 5 and 10 hours per night. On average, most people feel best rested with 7-8 hours of sleep. Good to know: genetic, medical and environmental factors change how much sleep you need - a body fighting an infection, for example, needs longer recovery phases. Try out which sleep duration makes you feel especially awake and try to get it as often as possible. A good indicator is when you wake up before the alarm and feel well rested all day.
3. Develop a sleep routine
A "sleep routine" is the collection of behaviours you carry out every day before going to bed to improve your sleep. You should get into the habit of switching off all screens at least one, better two, hours before sleeping. That includes your TV, your phone and your laptop! Ideally you don't even have these devices in your bedroom. An alternative would be keeping a diary, for example. That way you avoid hours of brooding and can get rid of all the thoughts that have piled up over the day, or to-dos for the next day, before going to sleep.
4. Timing is everything! Also with coffee
In the morning, when you wake up, your cortisol level rises as a natural wake-up call. So it's beneficial to have your coffee only 1-2 hours after getting up, when the cortisol level slowly falls again.
If you're sensitive to caffeine, ideally skip coffee and other stimulating substances after 3 pm.
5. Move!
A walk in nature, yoga or progressive muscle relaxation shortly before going to bed can improve your sleep quality. A lack of exercise, or workouts that are too intense right before sleep, can rather have a negative effect on your sleep. If you want to sleep healthily, find a happy medium of movement and the right time for you.
6. No heavy or large meals right before bed
Ideally you should have eaten your last meal three to four hours before going to bed, so that your digestion isn't running at full speed when you fall asleep. The 16:8 intermittent fasting method is recommended here, where you set your eating window from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, for example. That way you make sure you don't eat anything after 6 pm and your body can digest your dinner before you go to sleep.
7. Eat a balanced, nutrient-rich diet!
The same nutrition recommendations for a healthy lifestyle also promote restful sleep: a balanced, ideally plant-based diet with natural, unprocessed foods! To lower chronically raised cortisol levels, you need to look after the function of the adrenal glands. You can support them by making sure you get vitamins B6, B5 and C as well as magnesium and zinc.
Our conclusion:
Short- and long-term sleep deprivation has a negative effect on your mental and physical health. In the body it weakens your endocrine (hormonal) and metabolic systems, so that sleep deprivation promotes excess weight. If you follow our tips and tricks, it may support your sleep quality and your health. If you struggle to get out of bed, you can also take a natural boost in the form of one of our Frank Shots.
