Being sleep deprived will prevent you from effective weight loss. Being sleep deprived doesn't only make you feel tired and low in energy but it also manipulates your bodies metabolism. Lack of sleep fools your body into thinking it is hungry when you are actually full and this leads to an increase in fat storage. Maintaining an adequate sleep pattern equals to a better metabolism, which is the bottom line in any weight loss attempt.

Have been trying to lose weight for years? Do you have a hard time sleeping at night and get stressed easily? Do you often feel tired and overwhelmed? Recently the press has been reporting on how sleep affects many areas of a person's metabolism. Have you ever stopped to think how interesting and important sleep is in our everyday lives? Have you ever wondered if you get an adequate amount of sleep on a daily basis?

How do you know if you are sleep deprived?

• Do you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow?
• Do you sleep through your alarm going off?
• Do you wake up still tired?
• Are you tired during the day?
• Do you NEED coffee to get going?

If you answered yes to one or more of the questions above, you might be sleep deprived.

So how much sleep do we really need?

Most adults require between 7 to 9 hours of sleep for optimal rest. Some experts have even concluded that getting nine hours of sleep can even slow down the aging process. It also helps you recuperate from stress. Getting enough sleep is crucial for your health and well being. Getting enough sleep is essential to your weight loss goals being achieved.

What we do in our bedroom has a profound effect on our ability in getting a good night sleep.

• If you use your bed for anything else other that sleep, or sex, you may be setting up a psychological barrier to a good nights sleep. Get into your bed only when you are really tired (excluding sex) and ready for bed. Use another room for watching TV or reading. If you live in an apartment or studio then separate your bed with some kind of curtain or screen.
• Make your bedroom dark! The brain associates daylight with being awake, alert and active. Even the glow from the alarm clock can translate daylight to the brain. Cover your clock or turn it around, close your curtain or even wear a sleep mask if you need to so that you can obtain optimal sleep. Also, your subconscious mind "watches the clock" so turn your clock around.
• Fresh air is essential to a good nights sleep, no matter the season. A stuffy room can remind of your day and keep you mind thinking about your day. Open the window a crack for the night or wide for a minute before you go to sleep to clear the air. Ensure any home air filters are maintained and clean.

Melatonin and Sleeping

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the pineal gland. This hormone helps regulate our sleep and wake up cycles. This is one of the hormones that our body produces which has beneficial effects on our body tissues, healing mechanisms and metabolism which is released when we are asleep.

Not sleeping enough or not sleeping in complete darkness will decrease our production of melatonin. Insomnia, sleep apnea, or just not making sleep one of our priorities will result in decreased levels of the growth hormone which will in turn affect our weight loss attempt. Decreased amounts of the growth hormone have been found in persons who are getting a poor quality of sleep or insufficient amounts of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Along with low levels of melatonin and the growth hormone, stress hormone levels particularly cortisol increase. Cortisol signals your mind that you are hungry despite the fact you need no food. This is a typical example of an overweight person not getting enough sleep and overeating and perpetuating the obesity cycle.

The increased fat storage also found with sleep deprivation affects the ability to properly metabolize carbohydrates which can lead to high blood sugar levels. This then increases our levels of insulin which signals our body to store the unused energy as fat. The end result is the inability to lose weight easily.

Being overweight causes more sleep problems

Sleep Apnea, an obstructive breathing disease, is more common with overweight people. Back problems and depression which are also related to obesity can interfere with healthy sleep patterns.

Suffering from sleep apnea, stress, obesity should be enough to motivate you to lose the weight safely and permanently. If you are like many people and have a poor metabolism which is caused by your sleeping habits, then lets change. All it takes is one step at a time in the right direction. Join our journey to a healthy, restful new lifestyle. Imagine that by sleeping you can actually lose weight faster and safer than by not getting enough sleep!

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