Have you gained weight since starting online teaching?
As an online teacher immersed in a sleep disrupted lifestyle, I’d say the chances of you replying to that question with a “yes”, is pretty high.
Why? Well generally speaking, the less we sleep, the more we’re going to weigh.
I know, it’s a real bummer.
When we begin teaching, there are 4 distinct physiological changes which occur within our body, that if we ignore, can fast track us down the express lane to weight gain before we’ve even had a chance to see it coming!
- When we haven’t had enough sleep, our body instinctively seeks out energy that it didn’t get during a restorative night’s rest. What does that mean? Well the quickest and easiest source of energy that our body can use is, you guessed it, sugar! Or more scientifically, glucose, which means if you don’t get sufficient sleep, you’re going to have some serious carbohydrate cravings.
- When we haven’t had enough sleep, it alters our appetite-regulating hormones ‘ghrelin’ and ‘leptin’. Ghrelin is a hormone that gets released to increase our appetite, leptin is a hormone that lets you know when you’re full. The problem when we’re sleep deprived, is ghrelin becomes elevated, making us feel hungrier than normal. At the same time, leptin becomes suppressed, meaning you’re not going to receive that “I’m feeling full” signal which can lead to overeating and subsequent weight gain.
- When we haven’t had enough sleep, it increases a stress hormone in our body called cortisol. This hormone helps us respond to real dangers, but when elevated for too long it can become detrimental to our health. This is because cortisol raises our blood sugar, which in turn, raises our insulin levels. Too much insulin can lead in the development of a condition called insulin resistance, which reduces our body’s ability to burn fat, often leading in the development of weight gain around the abdomen or belly region.
- Our digestive systems do not function well at 2 am. When we are working odd hours, we are likely eating at odd hours. Our biological clocks have an optimal time for everything. Eating out of sync to our body’s natural circadian clock can disrupt our metabolism leading to weight gain, because our body is not optimized for night-time energy and nutrient consumption.
Don’t get me wrong, what we eat is crucial when it comes to sustainable weight loss, but it is not the only factor one should consider.
Teachers should focus on improving both the quality and quantity of their sleep, because this is going to help them to experience less sugar cravings and hormonal imbalance, which may inadvertently aid weight loss anyway!
And let’s face it, who doesn’t want better sleep!!
Want to learn more about healthy habits for VIPKid teachers? Click here.
Want to WIN a Dino sleep mask??? Comment on this article and tell me what you could do to improve your sleep. If you are looking for other VIPKid merchandise, visit the “Official VIPKid Store”
This giveaway will end on September 14, 2019. I will draw a name from the comments and request an address to send the sleep mask. If an address is not submitted within one week, another name will be drawn.
69 thoughts on “Sleep and Weight Gain”
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Oh man, this is one of those “OUCH!” articles – because I already knew that getting adequate sleep is one of the biggest contributing factors to overall health – and seeing the facts about a lack of sleep is eye-opening, yet again! Thanks for the article! Sleep is high on my habits list – getting 7+ hours a night for at least 3 weeknights!
Indeed, a lot of this is info I think a lot of us do know. I plan to write a series of articles like this that will go together and hopefully help to paint the bigger picture over time. Thanks for reading more to come soon!!
I never get enough sleep. I go to bed late and teach all day at school. No nap times. Not sure how to fit in more.
Interesting post!! I definitely crave sugar and carbs more when I’m tired. When I don’t have energy from sleep I look for it in food!
Great article! I’ve known for a while that I need better sleeping habits. I think the best way for me to do this would be to have a set bed time and wake time that I stick to every single day, no matter what.
Even on the weekends. We have been accustomed to letting ourselves get ‘social jetleg’ by staying up later on weekends. That is one area that a lot of people can improve. Thanks for reading.
I’ve gained about 10 pounds since beginning only 4 months ago. Currently intermittent fasting to combat this weight gain! Going to bed early has helped me with the late night munchies sleep eating!
I think fasting, which I refer to as time restricted eating, is a great way to combat the problem. Thanks for reading.
I am working hard to improve my sleep. It has definitely been hurt since becoming a VIPKID teacher. ? I have been going to bed earlier, when I can, and not drinking caffeine ☕️ after my morning coffee. I am going to add some stretches at night and 2 extra long walks during the week! After our move on Oct 3rd, I will also increase my workouts. Thank you for the great blog!
I can make sure I’m setting aside a time frame to allow myself to get the right amount of sleep.
In order to get more and better sleep, I know I need to put my phone down! I’ve read studies that suggest not using your phone an hour before bedtime, and obviously, putting the phone down before you get in bed. I’ve also read recommendations to keep phones out of the room overnight, it’s just so hard to do!?
Maintaining a schedule is a great way for me to get the sleep I need! 🙂
I used to set an alarm to remind me to get to bed on time. I need to start up that practice again otherwise I just stay up too late trying to get stuff done.
I used to set an alarm to remind me to get to bed on time. I need to start up that practice again otherwise I just stay up too late trying to get stuff done.
I am in my first contract and I hope I don’t gain 20 lbs! I have worked hard the last year and lost over 60 lbs! That’s baby weight plus more so I don’t want to gain it back!! I may need to cut hours so I can sleep more because I can’t sleep during the day since I stay home with my son and he naps awful!!
This post is very eye opening! I knew not getting enough sleep was a big issue, but this makes me feel want to alter my sleep schedule right now! I have been saying I want to go to sleep earlier. My husband leaves for work while I am teaching, so when he gets home I want to spend as much time with him as I can. Unfortunately, I sacrifice sleep for this! I’ve really been dragging recently. I can improve my sleep by simply going to bed earlier. I’m sure cutting out all the junk I have would be a great step too. Thanks for the interesting article!!
Cutting out all the refined food will go a long ways as well. Wanting to spend time with our loved ones is a huge challenge for us.
This is a great article. I agree getting enough sleep when teaching online full time is rough. I know for me I try to make sure I schedule my sleeping hours. Therefore I try to schedule between 7-8 hours of sleep each night. And if I don’t get enough sleep one night I always make sure to take a nap during the day. Thanks for the tips & the awesome giveaway!!
I loved this insight! Thanks so much for sharing it.— My first year teaching, I did fine. It wasn’t until I made the switch to full-time that I started seeing everything you listed. I was getting less sleep and eating more. Never hungry enough to eat a meal, but hungry enough to “need something” enter….quick grab carbs that are light on the stomach like pretzels and crackers. Eek! Talk about calories and weight gain. Now I’m back to my normal schedule, ditched the quick grab carbs, and I’m getting healthy again.
Great article Micah. One thing I did to improve my sleep was install a doggie door. Prior to the door, I was waking up three to four times a day to let the dog out. Now I sleep all the way through the day until it’s time to get up and get ready for my overnight teaching shift.
I’ve noticed my cravings and hunger “feelings” were there for so many of my all nighter this past summer. Since starting my fall schedule those have stopped some, which is a good thing. Now I just feel like I’m a hobbit needing breakfast before classes and second breakfast after classes lol. I get 7-8 hours of sleep a night but it’s not as restful as it could be some nights if I have a very early class in the morning. I’m planning on another alarm clock because I think I’m restless because I’m afraid I won’t hear my phone alarm!
I was always that kid who slept 11+ hours every night. Since I started teaching online, I have had a lot less sleep than I was used to even though I’m still getting 6 or 7 hours a night. It’s a goal for me to respect my body and get an extra hour or two of sleep. I always knew sleep was important, but thank you for sharing what a lack of adequate sleep does to our bodies.
Yep, I’ve gained since I started in May.
I love the article. It really helps me understand how I have been feeling.
I am going to try to go to the gym right after I finish my classes. I need to create a habit of exercising consistently. I will be more award of the sugar cravings and try to eat differently.
Thank you for the great information.
We need to take care of ourselves so we can teach our students.
Lisa
Definitely get plenty of sleep. Also, it needs to be a deep sleep. Quality over quantity here. Cool temps for sleeping, a night mask (hello, Dino), block those blue lights before bed, no screens at bedtime. You may sleep many hours, but if you’re not dreaming, you’re not resting.
I had to adjust my teaching schedule because I wasn’t getting enough sleep. The extra $$ just wasn’t worth it. I’ve definitely gained a lot of weight doing this job…but I’m getting back into much healthier habits!
This definitely hits home! I’ve found that being in front of a screen for hours to teach has caused me to have to impose screen limits outside of teaching. 2 hours before bed I shut off all screens and drink some chamomile tea and it causes me to sleep very deeply. My body now likes waking up before the sun and I feel prepared for my first class instead of groggy.
Sometimes we forget how important sleep really is. On average, I get about 6 hours of sleep per night. However, in order to function fully and not be sluggish, my body really needs at least 7+. 8 would be the dream! One thing I like to do to get better sleep is to limit my screen time an hour to an hour and a half prior to going to bed. Too much TV, or social media makes it more difficult to catch those Zzz’s! Instead, I try to find more relaxing activities such as reading a good book! Or even listening to a podcast.
Interesting post! I have just started with VIPKID and I can already feel the effects. I am trying to sleep when I can (squeezing in a nap when I can) and taking a full day off on Sunday’s to rest!
I think sticking to a schedule really helps especially if you have a lot of time to do each day. But of course don’t forget to take care of yourself too.
Great topic. Getting a good night’s rest (for me) boils down to making it a priority. Putting work away, staying off social media before bed, black out curtains, etc). It’s a part of self care that is often neglected and normal. You have to first see it as important. Then develop a routine/ plan and stick to it.
Thanks for the information. I am lucky if I get 5 hours of sleep. Definitely have noticed an increase in weight over the almost 2 years. Get to bed sooner would definitely help. Stop trying to so much in a week!
Thanks for sharing!! I could improve my sleep my going to bed at an earlier time and being more consistent about taking a nap during the day.
So far I have not gained weight working for VIPKID I did gained while working on my 2 master degrees though ?. Anyways, I agree with what Micah says. Furthermore, sleeping is also part of self-care. When we don’t sleep the hours we need to the way our body reacts is a stressors for our body. We also end up stress eating. Thanks for sharing!
As a teacher who has put on weight since signing her contract and usually runs on 5 1/2 hours of sleep, this hit home. I’m about to take a vacation and I’m hoping the week with remind my body it’s okay to sleep past 5 am. I also need to put my screens away earlier!
Sleep is hard for me, between years of babies not sleeping and crazy insomnia, quality sleep is something I can only dream of (bad pun, sorry). Doing what I can to fix it!
Yes! I agree with everything said here. When I don’t sleep I turn to food for my energy and it’s never good-for-me food! Sleep is always one of those things I struggle with ?
This is a great post!! 😀 When I first started teaching I definitely had to find a good routine. I know at first I didn’t listen to my body and could tell I was not doing what I needed for myself. Now on contract 2, I have found a balance! I have a set sleep schedule, I’m drinking more water, and a high protein breakfast to give me fuel for my b2b classes! 🙂 Making sure I get good sleep LITERALLY makes or breaks my morning so I always aim for good sleep so my students get the best of me! 🙂
I definitely need to stop getting sucked into the Instagram world right before bed. Before I know it I have already lost too much sleep time.
Great article!! Somethings I’m doing to help sleep better is going to bed when my children go to sleep, turn off short notice before going to bed and keeping the same wake time even if I don’t have a booked class.
This confirms what I was thinking about why in the world I want to stuff my face full of pizza and burgers at 11pm some nights! What do you think about biphasic sleep? It’s what works with my teaching/life schedule right now but I have a feeling my body is rejecting the idea… Thanks for the post!! Kinesiology is fascinating!
–Carly
This was very helpful information. I’m going to pass it along to my sons. They are in college and are very sleep deprived. Maybe it will help them to have some balance in their lives. Often, they overbook and compensate by skipping sleep. Thanks. 🙂
Drink more water (not before bed preferably! ?) and limit my phone use before falling asleep. I’m terrible at that!!
Ugh, I know I don’t get enough sleep. I have been trying my best to head to bed 30 minutes earlier. I’m not sure how much more sleep will be affected with the time change coming. Thanks for sharing!
Working on adjusting my schedule to accommodate my sleep needs. This includes my day to day schedule as well as my work schedule. One thing that really helps me is avoiding tv at least an hour before bed.
I love your YT videos, also! This is all such an issue for me. I have gained many pounds since I started. 🙁 I love the island theme, btw. Very clever!
I recently got a great lavender linen spray for my sheets. It is amazing!
This has been especially difficult since I’m going to radiation appointments immediately after my last class. Before I could sleep 9:30am-5:30pm, spend time with hubby when he got home & then start 9-10ish pm. With BTS, I’m now working 11pm-1am, catching a nap then working 4-9am. The radiation that I will receive to recover from breast cancer will last six weeks. I’m really not sure how to adjust my sleep schedule where am I able to be in a state of healing during this time. Recommendations are welcome. I really do want to get in my 80 classes each week, as this is my full-time job.
I had to change my breakfast habits gradually. I also try to clump all my classes together.
Your post makes perfect sense. I’m a recent Exercise Science graduate and my sleep schedule has been off since college. The lack of sleep, stress about graduate school (Physical Therapy) and bad eating habits are all contributors to my rapid, recent weight gain. I’m new to VIPKID so I plan to use this post to counter my actions I’m already aware of and now the new things I may encounter soon.
Thanks for the article! I definitely eat too much sugar when I’m up too late. I need to start taking that as a sign that I need to go to bed. I’ll try to start listening to my body. 🙂
For my sleep routine, I have a cup of sleepy time tea. I also have my Essential oil diffuser on my bedside table with a few different blends that aid sleep and I take Magnesium and melatonin before bed, as well as spray my pillow with this lavender pillow mist. YouTube also has a ton of ‘Sleep Music’ playlists that i find relaxing, kind of like in a spa during a massage. This with my snuggly pups and I’m out like a light ❤️
What a very insightful article! I’ve definitely struggled with this since I started teaching odd hours. I’m ALWAYS hungry now, and all I want is carbs, carbs, carbs! I work on improving my sleep by using white noise to insure I fall asleep right away- every moment of sleep is precious!
Clare thanks for taking the time to read, it is indeed precious.
I really need to be better at this. I think giving myself a teaching break every once in a while is necessary but it’s easier said than done. I have two very young kids and find that I only get 4-5 hours of sleep each night. And I still have to wake up to feed my youngest within those 4-5 hours ! I am working to scheduling one day off a week.
And that makes it very hard. One thing to remember is that the children will grow and their needs will change, doesn’t mean you won’t still be losing sleep over them, but hopefully the sleep becomes a bit easier to manage for the long term. For now, defend sleep as much as you can, eat nutritious whole foods to support your health and just do as good as you can. This means getting to sleep as quickly as possible and staying asleep. It may be possible to improve on these times.
I know I could use more sleep for sure! I get ready for bed at a reasonable time and then get on my phone! Maybe I will implement a no screen time rule for myself!
Yes and at the very least enable those blue light filters. Remember to be mindful of the entire sleeping environment, temperature, sound, mental comfort… etc. Cutting down before bed will really help wind down but be patient, it might take a few days of no screen time to begin to notice the effects. These changes may be slight as it is one of several fronts we can improve to holistically improve our sleep health. Light pollution is all over our house and even outside. Could give you a reason to change the lighting around the house 🙂 that might be fun! Have you ever given much thought to the lighting you use in your home?
I tried posting on this a couple days ago, but I guess it didn’t go through!
Great post! I’m the same, I crave sweets when I’m tired! Learning to have balance when teaching. Getting good sleep and more water! I aim for at least 7 hours
Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it. We are just hardwired to really seek out that fast and easy energy yet have little defense against excess calories. Keep getting that sleep!!
I could try to get on a regular sleep schedule. With my retail job + VIPKid + a toddler, my sleep is all over the place and I rarely get enough. I’m working on my FT job being a set schedule to do just this!
I need to not turn the TV on before bed. ?
I am only a few months in with VIPKid and I am still working on getting a healthier sleep schedule. I am trying adjustments to my schedule that I hope will bring improvement in this area. I have some autoimmune issues that wear me out so I really struggle without restorative sleep.
Living in Arizona, I teach from 3:30-7:00 am. I have really struggled with getting enough sleep since starting VIPKid. But lately I’ve been trying harder to make myself turn off the tv and phone and go to bed! Thanks for this reminder on how important sleep is!
Great article! Both my fiancé and I need to get on a better sleep schedule. Some nights we stay up too late spending time together since we’re away from each other all day. We need to make a bedtime routine and get in bed much earlier than we have been. We have both been feeling the effects of inadequate sleep.
I gained weight when I first started for sure. I’m doing much better weight-wise now but I know a lot of other things are worsened because of lack of sleep. I haven’t slept well in a year and a half because of anxiety over missing classes or something goin wrong!! That anxiety alone has messed with my weight too.
I think about sleep allllll the time. I have a 6-month-old, and I just joined VIPkid. I love teaching in the mornings, but I’m definitely not getting enough sleep when my babe is waking up every 3-4 hours still. Until she starts sleeping through the night again, I’m should try to nap when my kids are both napping. Thanks for sharing the info in your article!
I don’t think i can blame esl teaching as im literally the worst sleeper in the world. But u definitely see how jt affects me. Fasting actually didn’t help me but I have some health problems so small meals throughout the day actually help me lose a ton of weight because I was done notorious faster cuz I hate cooking lol. Thank you for posting and caring about our health !!!!
I don’t think i can blame esl teaching as im literally the worst sleeper in the world. But u definitely see how jt affects me. Fasting actually didn’t help me but I have some health problems so small meals throughout the day actually help me lose a ton of weight because I was done notorious faster cuz I hate cooking lol. Thank you for posting and caring about our health !!!!