Why does sleep aid fat loss? Does it make a difference when you're already exercising and eating well? Yes!
Sleep is just as important in trying to lose fat as any other factor.
When you lose those precious hours in the sack (sleeping, that is!), your body can experience stress and your cortisol (stress hormone) level will begin to rise as a response.
During this time, your body is getting ready for the fight or flight reaction. It will be fatigued and perceive a low supply of energy. Your hormones will be affected and this can results in increased hunger. Research has also found that sleep deprivation can decrease glucose and insulin sensitivity, two critical factors in the quest for fat loss.
The body wants to maintain a pattern - it likes routine and doesn't like stress. Not having enough sleep puts stress on the body. If you're trying to lose fat or are on a competitive lean down, getting a good 7 to 8 hours in each night is VITAL.
I've done it myself where I've stayed up an extra hour to catch up on emails or watch YouTube, not managed to get much sleep and then felt really annoyed with myself because of the knock-on effects (late getting up for cardio, crappy energy levels so not able to lift as heavy, rushed workout, less time to prep food etc etc... not cool).
Digestion is another biggie in terms of what's affected by poor sleep. Have you ever experienced that post-sleep bloat after a restless night? Things just don't flow the same when you start losing out on that kip, so try to get yourself into a routine. Power down your devices an hour before bed, take a nice hot bath or shower and try to stick to a schedule. Tomorrow, your bright-eyed self will be thankful.
Sweet dreams Xx Lucy