Weight gain is not only an outcome of overeating or lack of physical activity.
Even small lifestyle habits can make a huge impact on your waistline.
According to a research (published in JAMA Internal Medicine), after examining the sleeping pattern of 120,000 people researchers concluded that our sleeping pattern can be closely associated with weight management and overall health. At the end of the study, it was found that people with body mass indexes (BMIs) above 30 (which is categorized as obese) only slept about 15 minutes less on average than those with lower BMIs.
When you are tired, your hunger hormones called ghrelin spikes and your fullness hormone leptin decreases. This makes you more hungry and you tend to eat more, leading to weight gain.
Feeling sleepier can also increase your average calorie intake by 300 per day.
The sleep requirement of every individual varies, but a common observation is that getting sleep for less than seven hours can lead to fluctuations in weight. The ideal sleeping time for most people is between 7 to 9 hours.
... So, is it time to crash earlier? IDK about you guys, but I'm thinking... for me... YES.
Time to get back to what I was doing before I made some moves to wake up wicked early... because, yeah, I'm living-physical-proof that this study... is RIGHT ON.
Photos: Getty