Getting enough sleep is important for your health and well-being. But did you know that your sleep can influence your success in intermittent fasting? Because if you sleep too little or poorly, fasting can feel much more difficult.
In this article you will learn about the reasons and what you can do to improve your sleep quality permanently.
Why is sleep so important for your success in intermittent fasting?
If you don’t sleep enough, this will have a negative effect on your eating habits. Studies show that poor and too little sleep can…
- increase your appetite.
- boost your cravings for unhealthy, fatty foods.
- lead to higher calorie intake.
- deteriorate your metabolism.
- decrease your physical performance.
A lack of sleep directly affects our brain. So it becomes harder for our mind to stay in control and work according to plan. As a consequence fasting will be much more difficult.
What can you do for a restful sleep?
1. Increase your amount of sleep
Experts recommend about 7 to 9 hours of sleep. However, the ideal amount varies from person to person and is usually signaled by your body. If you don’t get the sleep you need at night, a power nap (20 minutes) during the day is a good idea.
2. Improve your quality of sleep
Even more important than the amount is the QUALITY of your sleep! You can increase it immediately by banning your cell phone from your bedroom at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Keep the room temperature in the bedroom nice and cool (17-19°C or 62-66°F). If it’s too warm, your sleep quality will suffer.
3. No big meals before bedtime
Eating late at night keeps your body busy. There should be about 2 to 3 hours between bedtime and your last meal. Try to avoid heavy foods, such as carbs or raw foods in the evening.
4. No caffeine after 4 pm
If you have problems falling asleep, you should avoid stimulating drinks such as coffee or black tea quite early in the day. This is because the contained caffeine remains in your body for a long time, depriving you of your well-deserved sleep.
This is how you boost your intermittent fasting success through your sleep
As you can see, sleep is anything but a waste of time.
With sufficient and restful sleep
- you ensure relaxation,
- regulate your appetite and
- support cell cleansing and regeneration in your body.
In this way, you’ll create a good foundation for your intermittent fasting success – effortless, while sleeping.
With the BodyFast app, you can find the intermittent fasting plan that fits you best.
Ping How to Combine Intermittent Fasting and Shift Work