Does Sleeping in the Afternoon Make You Gain Weight?

Does Sleeping in the Afternoon Make You Gain Weight

Did you know that the most common advice for people in their 20s who work long hours and have a hectic social life is to sleep in? This may sound counter-intuitive, but this is because there’s a lot of truth to it. This blog post aims to answer the question: Does sleeping in the afternoon make you gain weight? If so, why? If not, why not? Let’s find out!

Does Sleeping in the Afternoon Make You Gain Weight?

No, sleeping in the afternoon does not make you gain weight. Weight gain is the result of consuming more calories than your body needs, and it is possible to gain weight while napping. However, research suggests that napping may actually help you shed pounds. A study published in the International Journal of Cardiology found that overweight women who took two 20-minute naps each day lost more abdominal fat than those who didn’t nap. Another study found that women who took power naps (20 minutes) experienced a drop in their blood pressure. While snoozing may not lead to weight gain, it isn’t necessarily a weight-loss miracle worker either. To lose weight, you must monitor what you eat and how much physical activity you get each day. Napping can help you stay energized throughout the day so you’re less likely to reach for sugary or high-calorie snacks to stay awake.

How much sleep do we really need?

  • Technically, if you’re getting 6 hours of sleep per day, you’re getting your daily requirement. And that’s true! But here’s the thing — your body needs a certain amount of sleep each night to function properly. 
  • Sleeping for the bare minimum isn’t enough. You’ll wake up groggy, moody, and with a mind that can’t focus. None of that sounds like you at all! A good guideline for sleep is 7-9 hours per night for most adults.
  • While some people can get away with less or more than this, most people will experience some negative side effects at either extreme.
  •  You can have your doctor run a blood test to see how much sleep you need to function at your best.

Why is afternoon napping so important?

1. It can help you relax and unwind after a long day

Taking a nap in the afternoon helps you relax and unwind after a long day. After a long day at work, it can be very stressful. This stress can make you feel tired, irritated, or even sick. Some people drink alcohol or take medication to relax, but those activities have their own side effects. In fact, drinking too much alcohol can actually make you more tired, while taking medication can make you drowsy and fatigued. A nap in the afternoon can help you relax and unwind after a long day.

2. It can boost your alertness and productivity at work

Afternoon naps actually increase your alertness, creativity, and productivity when you are tired at work. This is because napping before you hit the “wall” can prevent you from becoming extremely tired. When you get too tired and hit the “wall”, you become significantly less productive, creative, and even uncooperative. This can also result in injuries. Taking an afternoon nap can prevent this from happening.

3. It can reduce stress

Taking a nap in the afternoon can help you reduce stress. Some people stress out when they get too tired and hit the “wall”. Others don’t feel stressed but are unproductive and irritable. If you want to reduce stress, you can take a nap in the afternoon. Some people take a nap for a couple of minutes or hours. Sleeping for 20-30 minutes can actually reduce stress.

4. It can help you sleep better at night

Napping in the afternoon can help you sleep better at night. Some people take a nap, and then they go to sleep at night and sleep better. This is because taking a nap in the afternoon tempers your energy and prepares you for sleep at night. It can prevent you from staying up late at night, which can reduce your energy. When you are less energetic, you need to sleep better.

5. It can prevent memory loss

Taking a nap for a short period of time can help you prevent memory loss. Some people are worried about taking naps because they think they can cause memory loss. However, it is not true. If you take a nap for a short period of time, it can actually help you prevent memory loss. Taking a nap for a short period of time can help you: • Calm down and relax • Think more clearly • Focus on your work

6. It can lower the risk of heart disease

Studies show that people who nap regularly have a lower risk of heart disease. This is because they are generally more relaxed and less stressed. This can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Taking a nap in the afternoon can benefit your health in many different ways. It can help you relax and unwind after a long day, boost your alertness and productivity at work, reduce stress, help you sleep better at night, prevent memory loss, and lower the risk of heart disease. If you want to be healthy, you should make it a habit to take an afternoon nap for 30 to 60 minutes every day.

What happens when you don’t get enough sleep?

  • When you don’t get enough sleep, you can expect to feel groggy, drowsy, irritable, and have a difficult time focusing. These symptoms will make you less productive, and you’ll also be at risk for accidents as a result.
  •  A lack of sleep also makes you more likely to gain weight and lose muscle. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body increases the amount of the hunger hormone ghrelin in your blood.
  •  This makes you feel hungrier and eat more. Your body also releases less of the hormone leptin. This hormone tells your brain you’re full. 
  • So even though you’re eating enough calories, you may end up eating more because you’re not full! When you’re sleep-deprived, your body breaks down muscles to make energy.
  •  This is even more likely to happen when you get less than 6 hours of sleep per day.

The benefits of an afternoon nap for weight loss and metabolism

  1. There are many studies that show that napping regularly can help you lose weight. 
  2. Some studies even show that sleeping in the afternoon has the same benefits as sleeping at night! That’s because when you nap, your body releases melatonin. 
  3. This is the hormone that helps you sleep. This hormone also slows down your metabolism. 
  4. And when your metabolism is slower, you burn fewer calories. When your metabolism slows down, your body burns fewer calories. This makes it much easier for you to gain weight.
  5.  But when you nap in the afternoon, you’re essentially slowing down your metabolism and helping yourself gain weight!

When should you nap? Before or after your workout?

  •  If you nap after your workout, your body will enter a deep sleep cycle. This will help you process and store more memories.
  •  It’s up to you! If you nap before your workout, you’ll be more energized to push yourself in the gym.
  •  And if you nap after your workout, you’ll be able to remember what you did in the gym and perhaps make improvements next time.
  •  If you’re a student, you may have to nap in the afternoon. This will help you stay focused and remember more information.
  •  While napping after lunch may make you sleepy, it will also make you less hungry and less likely to snack.

Bottom line

Sleeping in the afternoon is a common practice for people with busy lifestyles. But do you know why it helps you and how it does so? Sleeping in the afternoon can help you focus better, retain more information, and make healthier eating decisions. There are many benefits of sleeping in the afternoon, but there are some downsides as well. Be sure to eat a light snack before you nap, and stay away from caffeine. When you nap in the afternoon, make sure you get enough sleep and avoid eating large meals.