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         The hormones we spoke of above are also positively or  negatively affected by how much sleep we get. Studies show that sleep loss  leads to increased appetite, and, even worse, appetite for high-carbohydrate  calorie-dense foods. It was found that people who had only 4 hours of sleep  experienced altered blood levels of the two hormones that regulate hunger:  leptin and ghrelin. The leptin level dropped and the ghrelin level rose. This  is bad news for weight loss. 
          Another hormone, cortisol, is known as the “stress hormone”.  It’s known to be secreted in higher levels during the body’s response to  stress. It also increases after inadequate sleep to elevated levels the entire  following day. Cortisol causes increased appetite and fat storage. 
          Too little sleep also suppresses the nighttime release of  growth hormone (GH). This decreases fat metabolism, increases fat storage, and  decreases lean muscle. 
          Try to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night.  Sleep may be just as important as healthy eating and reasonable exercise to get quick weight loss. It’s also crucial for your health and longevity. Sleep loss  is associated with a shortened life span, high blood pressure, diabetes and  heart disease. 
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