Why staying up late causes obesity: How to sleep earlier?

As life gets busier and more modern and technology becomes more and more modern, you feel like if you don’t stay up late, you “can’t get it all done”. You may have to stay up late trying to meet deadlines or think through life’s stressful issues. The harmful effects of the habit of staying up late not only expose you to many health risks, but also increase the risk of obesity. So how do you prevent staying up late causing obesity?

You can also stay up late to spend time enjoying personal hobbies. After tiring working hours, you relax with movies, entertainment programs or video games. When you focus on entertainment, you may even be so engrossed that you forget about bedtime and ignore the serious effects of staying up late.

So if you stay up late, do you gain weight? The answer is yes. The habit of staying up late not only makes you more susceptible to heart disease, cancer, weakened immunity, but also increases your risk of obesity. Let’s find out the reasons why staying up late causes obesity and practice sleeping early to protect your health!

The habit of staying up late makes you easy to gain weight

The University of California Berkeley (USA) went to find the answer to the question: “Is it fat to stay up late?”. They studied the relationship between staying up late and obesity. The results showed that adolescents and adults who regularly slept late were more likely to gain weight than those of the same age who went to bed early. Research also shows a link between sleep and body mass index (BMI*).

• The Berkeley study tracked the influences and behaviors of adolescents at three stages — onset of puberty, college age, and adulthood. The researchers compared the bedtimes and BMI of teenagers from 1994 to 2009. The results of the study showed that teenagers who went to bed earlier had a healthier weight into adulthood. .

In another study, 4- to 5-year-old children who slept less at night led to sleep deprivation. This increases the risk of obesity over time. Rates of obesity were higher among children who slept about 9.5 hours less per night than those who went to bed at 9 p.m. and got enough sleep.

2 Causes of staying up late cause obesity

Does staying up late without eating lose weight? There is no exact answer to this question, it depends on your diet and exercise. Many people think that eating late at night leads to weight gain. But in fact, some of the stress hormones caused by staying up late can also lead to weight gain.

Is staying up late fat? Experts have shown that adults who do not get enough sleep from 7 to 9 hours a night are at increased risk of obesity. Let’s find out the reasons why staying up late causes obesity below.

1. Stress hormone causes obesity

Getting enough sleep not only helps you prevent obesity and overweight, but it also helps prevent heart disease, stroke, depression, and other chronic disorders. When you sleep, your body repairs and recovers.

If you don’t get enough sleep, stress hormones and other inflammatory factors are released. This mechanism is created in response to chronic stress.

• Why stay up late to gain weight? One of the stress hormones released is the hormone cortisol. Cortisol causes glucose (sugar) to be released into the bloodstream to feed the brain and help it work better. However, the side effects of cortisol can lead to weight gain and over time obesity.

2. Staying up late increases cravings

Children depending on age may need more sleep for a minimum of 10 hours per night. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can lead to overeating. For those trying to lose weight, getting enough sleep increases their chances of success.

• Why stay up late to gain weight? When you lack sleep, your body will have cravings. Especially for fast food, dishes rich in fat and carbohydrates. Foods high in unhealthy fats and added sugars make you crave food. Late-night hunger can cause you to overeat and exceed your daily calorie needs.

If you often stay up late and have a habit of eating before bed, you are more likely to stay up late and snack due to sleep habits. Some people also have the habit of staying up late to “plow” movies, even eating while watching movies until early morning, which increases the risk of obesity.

>> Read more: Good tips to help you soon “goodbye” harmful night eating habits

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• How to prevent obesity for adults and children?
• What foods should obese people limit?

How to practice the habit of going to bed early

To limit staying up late, causing weight gain and consuming unhealthy foods, you should practice the habit of sleeping early. The arrangement of furniture in the bedroom is also very important for you to sleep soundly until morning.

1. Set the clock to go to bed early and wake up early

You need to build a habit of going to bed early and getting enough sleep from 7 to 9 hours every night to wake up early to exercise the next morning.

• Recipes for you. Exercising in the morning will help boost energy for the new day. It also helps you feel more tired and easier to sleep at night. You can also do yoga exercises to help you sleep to relax your body and easily fall asleep.

In addition, you should not wake up late to avoid having trouble sleeping early the next night. Similarly, you also only need to take a nap for about 15-20 minutes to help you fall asleep more easily at night.

2. Do not leave electronic devices in the bedroom

You should not leave electronic devices in the bedroom such as televisions, phones, laptops… These devices will make you focus on entertainment activities and make you lose sleep. Even blue light from electronic devices is harmful to your eyes and brain.

3. Minimize working at night

The habit of working at night will make you stressed and increase the difficulty of sleeping. Sleep deprivation can lead to a host of serious health problems, including obesity.

• Recipes for you. You can exercise in the morning to focus on working during the day as well as increase productivity. If you find yourself unable to meet deadlines, you can wake up early to work, avoiding staying up late, damaging your health.

4. Eat foods that help you sleep

If you find it difficult to fall asleep due to hunger, you can choose healthy foods that help you sleep easily such as: bananas, berries, herbal tea, almonds, cereals, oats… And pay attention, stay away. Foods high in unhealthy fats increase cravings and make you eat more causing weight gain.

• Recipes for you. You can refer to some simple weight loss snacks. Also pay attention to foods that promote sleep and foods that cause insomnia.

5. Design your bedroom to help you sleep well

If the weather is hot, you can open the air conditioner or open the window to help air into the room cooler. If it’s cold, close the window and cover with a blanket to keep your body warm. You can also leave a night light, an air purifier to help you relax and sleep better.

Hope this article has answered your question: Does staying up late at night gain weight? As well as explaining why staying up late to gain weight. After this article, make it a habit to go to bed early and get up early. Building healthy living habits will positively impact weight control and prevent obesity!