Intermittent fasting: can it improve sleep?

Intermittent fasting has attracted a lot of interest in recent years. If you follow it closely, you probably support it for a number of reasons, including more energy, better hunger control, and weight and fat loss. What you may not mention when talking about intermittent fasting is the effect it has on your sleep.

Intermittent fasting: does it also benefit sleep?

Most of the scientific evidence supports that intermittent fasting is an effective method for weight loss, but also has potential health benefits.

More precisely:

When it comes to weight loss, many studies show that some types of intermittent fasting can be just as effective—perhaps more effective—for weight loss than relying on other diets. in limiting daily calorie intake.

In fact, a 2014 study found that this way of eating can lead to 3-8% weight loss over 3-24 weeks, which is significant compared to most weight loss methods, while another study found that intermittent fasting results in less muscle mass. showed that it caused the loss. unlike other classic weight loss methods.

In addition, intermittent fasting helps regulate our appetite by improving satiety and reducing hunger. Here is an example of this diet in terms of health benefits:

  • Reduces insulin resistance
  • It leads to better blood sugar values.
  • It reduces cardiovascular risk factors such as cholesterol and blood pressure.

But it also affects our sleep. This has been proven The effect of intermittent fasting on our sleep is due to the fact that it supports our circadian rhythm and internal clock. Our circadian rhythms control many biological functions, such as our hunger, metabolism, and when we wake and sleep. Primarily our circadian rhythms are regulated by sunlight, but even food is an important timer.

Also, people who choose this type of diet may notice that they have more energy and concentration, because it increases the production of orexin-A, a neurotransmitter associated with alertness. In particular, people who fast intermittently have lower levels of orexin-A at night and higher levels during the day, resulting in them feeling more focused during the day and enjoying more restful and carefree sleep.

How long does it take to see the results of intermittent fasting?

You can even see changes in your sleep within a week. In a survey found that with healthy adult participants who started intermittent fasting, their sleep improved significantly in just one week. They were less likely to wake up during the night and detected less movement, meaning their sleep was more restful. They also spent more time in the critical REM stage of sleep. Overall, they reported better sleep quality, better mood, and more energy during the day.

Intermittent fasting should not be done by certain groups of the population

More precisely:

  • People under the age of 18 with predominant developmental needs (children and adolescents).
  • Pregnant and lactating women.
  • People who follow medication that prescribes food consumption at certain times, such as diabetics.
  • People with a predisposition to or history of eating disorders, because the restrictive nature of intermittent fasting may create more obsessions with food.

The suitability of the protocol for athletes and athletes remains questionable, as the timing of meals is of great importance on a competitive basis.

Not everything suits everyone

Considering the above, the question arises what type of diet suits each of us. If you find it easy to eat once or twice a day, then intermittent fasting is probably the solution. If not, then more “classic” weight loss methods may work well for you without restricting yourself as much as intermittent fasting requires.

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