How to Slow Your Metabolism Without Sleep for Days

It is no secret that not getting adequate sleep can be detrimental to overall health. Staying up for several days at a time causes the body to work inefficiently. When the body is not functioning as it should, body functions, including the metabolism, are slowed down significantly. Sleep deprivation is not an ideal method to slow down metabolism because of the physical impacts it has on the body and cognitive abilities. The key to gaining and maintaining weight is to become aware of the daily caloric intake needed for your goal.

Instructions

• 1

  Lose sleep and alter your glucose metabolism. Lack of sleep slows the body's ability to metabolize glucose. This is dangerous because in some people, the alteration of glucose makes the body respond the same as it would with type-two diabetes, according to a Swedish university study. When sleep deprivation is combined with large carbohydrate meals, the regulation of blood sugar will take longer. Although the decreased regulation may help you hold on to calories longer, the effects of slow insulin secretion are not healthy for the body.

• 2

  Go without sleep and alter your hormone production. Lack of sleep can hinder the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormones, the Swedish study found. When the thyroid is not functioning properly, the body responds by increasing cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol causes the body to slow metabolism and encourages fat to be stored. The combination of stored fat and decreased metabolism results in weight gain.

• 3

  Stay up and change your eating habits. Although not a direct physiological effect of sleep deprivation, staying up for a number of days can cause poor eating habits. A Northwestern University study showed people who stay up late tend to eat more calories and weigh more than those who go to bed early. If you are fatigued, you may grab sweets or caffeine-filled drinks to keep yourself awake. Poor food choices can lead to slower metabolism. If you are awake for longer durations, you will have more opportunities to consume more calories.

• 4

  Avoid sleep and have your body break down food less efficiently. If the body is extremely fatigued, the body will simply not have enough energy to break food down as efficiently, the Swedish study showed. Just as with the case of glucose metabolism, when food is not efficiently broken down, the rate of metabolism is lowered.