Can you lose weight while sleeping?

Editor’s Note: upwave is Turner Broadcasting’s new lifestyle brand designed to entertain the health into you! Story highlights Unfortunately, sleep alone won't lead to significant weight loss But proper sleep can help you avoid excess weight gain Less sleep can lead to hormonal imbalance and feelings of hunger upwave.com — The rumor: You can drop pounds by catching Z’s The not-so-secret way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more, right? “When you have poor sleep or lack of sleep, you’re setting a whole cascade of events in motion hormonally that could set you up for weight gain.” upwave: Are you prone to weight gain? “The appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin are made predominantly during sleep, which means that people have less of a sense of satiety if they’re not getting enough sleep,” says Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of “Real Cause, Real Cure: The 9 Root Causes Of The Most Common Health Problems And How To Solve Them.” That hormone-triggered lack of satiety could explain the 3 a.m. munchies. “You’ll actually wind up with more fat and less muscle.” upwave: 10 bedtime snacks that promote sleep More sleep doesn’t equal diet-level weight loss So if you suffer from insomnia, restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia or any other sleep or pain disorders that can make shut-eye elusive, seek treatment.