Now more than ever, sleep is becoming a major factor in our health and wellness. Sleep is not only important to give our body rest but it also gives our brain a chance to flush out toxins that have accumulated throughout the day, which can only be done when we are asleep.

We’ve all heard that phones and screens before bedtime are a big no! But do you know the science behind this? We have a helpful hormone in our body called melatonin, which is secreted in the dark, causing us to become tired and sleepy. In the morning as the sun rises and there is more light, melatonin stops being produced by our body which causes us to wake up! Our laptop or phone screens emit a particular type of light called “blue light”, which stops the production of melatonin. And without melatonin, our sleep quality is greatly compromised!

So how does this affect our body’s overall health? Recent research is showing us that sleep quality also plays a huge role in weight management. Studies are showing us that the less we sleep, the more hunger hormone (ghrelin) is produced and the less satiety hormone (leptin) is secreted. This causes us to eat much more after a night or two of bad sleep. Not only do we overeat because of this imbalance of hormones, but the research is showing we also don’t make the best food choices when our body is in this state! We are more likely to snack and eat energy dense, high carb and saturated fat foods. This can cause weight gain and also long term, can have other implications on our overall health.