When you’re skimping on sleep, your health can suffer. Not only can poor rest leave you feeling worse for the wear upon waking, but it can also increase your likelihood of developing various chronic illnesses, including dementia, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Obesity is another notable metabolic condition that can be impacted by your sleep patterns.
In fact, the National Council on Aging suggests that there’s a bidirectional relationship between poor sleep and high weight. “Lack of physical activity and poor diet interrupt our natural circadian rhythms, which limits weight loss success,” they write. Conversely, “sleep may be a key component of weight loss. It can influence hunger and satiety, energy production, and motivation for physical activity,” their experts note.
Some research indicates that melatonin—a natural hormone produced in the brain’s pineal gland that affects the sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythm—could be another factor linking poor sleep and high weight. Having low levels of melatonin, or a melatonin deficiency, appears to correlate with increased body mass index (BMI), some studies show.
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“Melatonin actually activates your brown adipose tissue and helps to participate in the browning of your white adipose tissue,” explains Janine Bowring, ND, a naturopathic doctor and medical content creator. “Brown fat helps to dissipate heat, helping you to keep warm, especially in a cooler climate. It therefore helps you to lose that extra weight,” she said in a recent TikTok post.
A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences further explains the theory.
“Traditionally, adipose tissue in mammals is classified as white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), with the former acting as energy storage and the latter acting as an energy consumer,” the study states. “Both BAT and beige adipose tissue formed by WAT browning contain abundant mitochondria and uncoupling protein (UCP) that benefit for weight loss and energy-burning. Thus far, it has been reported that melatonin can regulate adipose tissue and adipokines… which in turn affects energy expenditure.”
Bowring emphasizes that the best way to elevate your melatonin levels is by prioritizing the quantity and quality of your sleep, as well as exposing yourself to natural sunlight during the day.
“If you’re making the mistake of not getting a good night’s sleep and suppressing your own melatonin by being under artificial lights, especially after the sun has set, not protecting your eyes with the blue light blocking glasses, you could be very easily gaining that weight. You weren’t sure why, but it’s because you’re suppressing that melatonin,” Bowring says.
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She also suggests eating foods that boost melatonin. According to a study published in the journal Nutrients, “Eggs and fish are higher melatonin-containing food groups in animal foods, whereas in plant foods, nuts are with the highest content of melatonin. Some kinds of mushrooms, cereals and germinated legumes or seeds are also good dietary sources of melatonin.”
And as the Cleveland Clinic explains, tart cherries are another food with natural melatonin: “Tart cherries have a small amount of both melatonin and tryptophan, an amino acid used in production of serotonin and melatonin.” (This may sound familiar if you’ve seen the “Sleepy Girl Mocktail” trend on social media.)
Bowring advises against taking a melatonin supplement and instead suggests raising your levels naturally. However, a 2014 study published in the journal Menopause Review found that “melatonin supplementation contributed to body weight reduction” among a cohort of 81 pre- and post-menopausal women.
If you suspect you might be suffering from a melatonin deficiency and subsequent sleep problems, talk to your doctor about your concerns. They can help you rule out other conditions that could be contributing to your poor rest, and help you create a treatment plan to increase your low melatonin levels if that’s found to be the culprit.