Why lack of sleep can make it harder to lose your Mummy Tummy!
Author: Jo Taylor
If you are struggling to lose weight post natally it could be worth considering whether sleep deprivation and stress is what is preventing you from losing that extra weight around your tummy?
Cortisol is a vital steroid hormone which regulates a wide range of processes throughout the body including your metabolism and your immune response. It also has a very important role in helping the body respond to stress.
During Pregnancy and the early Post Natal period, Cortisol is naturally elevated. In the Post Natal period it is believed that the role of elevated Cortisol and other stress hormones is to keep the mother alert and aware of any possible dangers to the infant just as she would have had to have done in our caveman days. The physical stress of labour and birthing, alongside the stresses of adjusting to early motherhood and poor sleeping patterns/lack of sleep means that Cortisol levels may remain high well into the Post Natal period making it difficult for mothers to lose weight post birth. This is because when Cortisol levels are high the body perceives itself to be under threat and so responds by laying down fat reserves.
Being an older mother is also a factor in holding fat as scarily by the mid to late 30s the body is preparing for menopause! And the ultimate paradox is that as women head towards menopause the body will automatically be reluctant to let go of fat around the middle as this is where Oestrogen is mainly manufactured. This happens because the body knows that Oestrogen will help protect our bones from Osteoporosis so the body understandably tries to hold onto the fat to hold onto the Oestrogen to prevent Osteoporosis which it obviously deems to be a greater threat than having a fat belly!
The ultimate blow comes in the fact that abdominal fat cells have four times as many receptors for Cortisol than anywhere else in your body so if youre continually too stressed, your abdominal fat cells will be calling out for Cortisol and encouraging the body to store fat around the abdominals!
Adrenaline & Cortisol are the two main stress hormones produced by the Adrenal glands. Totally useful when we need to get out of danger, not so great when our modern life and stress levels keep us chronically in a state of over-production. Both hormones circulating in the system increase appetite and then drive the stressed individual to consume guess what? More carbohydrate and fat!
Fat is stored around the middle simply because there, its closer to the liver where it can be quickly accessed to be converted back into energy if needed. Natural Cortisol levels that we need to wake us up and go about our business in the daytime can remain elevated by stress. They can also be elevated by a house too brightly lit in the evening time, and overstimulation via watching TV and staying up late playing with our phones and tablets. Many of us fall into this trap simply because late into the evenings is generally the only quiet time we get to themselves and so the only time when we can indulge ourselves with tv and facebook and twitter, not to mention chocolate and wine!
Being an older mother is also a factor in holding fat as scarily by the mid to late 30s the body is preparing for menopause! And the ultimate paradox is that as women head towards menopause the body will automatically be reluctant to let go of fat around the middle as this is where Oestrogen is mainly manufactured. This happens because the body knows that Oestrogen will help protect our bones from Osteoporosis so the body understandably tries to hold onto the fat to hold onto the Oestrogen to prevent Osteoporosis which it obviously deems to be a greater threat than having a fat belly!
The ultimate blow comes in the fact that abdominal fat cells have four times as many receptors for Cortisol than anywhere else in your body so if youre continually too stressed, your abdominal fat cells will be calling out for Cortisol and encouraging the body to store fat around the abdominals!
Adrenaline & Cortisol are the two main stress hormones produced by the Adrenal glands. Totally useful when we need to get out of danger, not so great when our modern life and stress levels keep us chronically in a state of over-production. Both hormones circulating in the system increase appetite and then drive the stressed individual to consume guess what? More carbohydrate and fat!
Fat is stored around the middle simply because there, its closer to the liver where it can be quickly accessed to be converted back into energy if needed. Natural Cortisol levels that we need to wake us up and go about our business in the daytime can remain elevated by stress. They can also be elevated by a house too brightly lit in the evening time, and overstimulation via watching TV and staying up late playing with our phones and tablets. Many of us fall into this trap simply because late into the evenings is generally the only quiet time we get to themselves and so the only time when we can indulge ourselves with tv and facebook and twitter, not to mention chocolate and wine!
Excessive production of Cortisol leads to adrenal fatigue which presents itself as chronic fatigue syndrome, infections, musculoskeletal aches and pains and headaches and the list goes on.......
Obeying our natural rhythms of sleep and rest allows the adrenals to rest and human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced which is vital for optimal fat metabolism. Caffeine, sugar, tobacco and low blood sugar also create emergency situations within our systems and signal stress and they are all best avoided. If your body belives itself to be in a state of crisis it will respond accordingly.
Obeying our natural rhythms of sleep and rest allows the adrenals to rest and human growth hormone (HGH) to be produced which is vital for optimal fat metabolism. Caffeine, sugar, tobacco and low blood sugar also create emergency situations within our systems and signal stress and they are all best avoided. If your body belives itself to be in a state of crisis it will respond accordingly.
Sleep also affects the levels of other hormones in your body. Two hormones that play an important role in stimulating and suppressing your appetite are leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is produced by your bodys fat cells and is responsible for suppressing hunger. Ghrelin is released by your stomach, and stimulates your appetite. Lack of sleep lowers the levels of leptin in your blood and heightens the levels of ghrelin, which results in an increase of appetite. The reverse is also true: getting enough sleep decreases hunger and will therefore help you lose weight.
You will know yourself that when you are tired you eat more and are more likely to crave sweet foods and carbohydrates. If you are well rested you are much more likely to be able to manage your appetite and make healthier choices. Exercise also has a big part to play here because it not only speeds up our metabolism and enables us to burn fat (if done at a high intensity) it also helps us to sleep better and to manage our stress levels.
So why not start treating yourself to as many early nights as possible and see if that is the difference that makes the difference for you when it come to weight loss?
Jo Taylor is a Fitness Instructor specialising in Post Natal Fitness. You can contact Jo via her website http://jotaylorfitness.co.uk/ or at http://bridgenaturalhealth.co.uk/
