Sleeping and Weight Loss
Sleeping and weight loss go hand in hand when you are trying to lose weight. Sleep deprivation will prevent you from effective weight loss. Being sleep deprived doesn't only make you feel tired, and low in energy, it also manipulates a person's metabolism. Lack of sleep fools your body into thinking it is hungry when you are actually full, this often leads to an increase of fat storage.
Have you been trying to lose weight for years? Do you often feel tires, and overwhelmed? Recently scientists have reported on how sleep affects many areas of a person's metabolism. Have you stopped to thing about 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 sleeping from sleep deprivation.
How much sleep do you really need?
Experts say that most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep daily for optimal rest. They have even concluded that getting 9 hours of sleep can even slow down the aging process, and it also help you recuperate from stress. Getting enough sleep is crucial for your health, and well being. Getting enough sleep is essential in achieving your weight loss goals.
Our bedroom activities have a profound effect on our ability in getting a good night sleep.
- If you use your bed for anything else other than sleep or sex; you may be setting up a mental barrier to a good nights sleep. Get into your bed only if 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 an alarm clock can translate trick the mind into believing it is daytime. 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 perfect sleep. Your subconscious mind also watches the clock, so turn it around.
- Fresh air is essential to a good nights sleep, no matter the season. A stuffy room can remind you of your day, and keep your 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. Make sure that your air filters in your home are cleaned and maintained.
Melatonin and Sleeping
Melatonin
Not sleeping enough, or not sleeping in a 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 in the growth hormone, which in turn affects our weight loss attempts. Decreased amounts of the growth hormone has been found in persons who are getting a poor quality of sleep, or insufficient amounts of REM (paid eye movement) sleep. Along with the 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 that you need no food. This is a typical example of an overweight person not getting enough sleep, overeating, and continuing 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 will then increase 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.
If a person is suffering from sleep apnea, the need to realize how it can hurt them in the long term. Sleep apnea is directly related to obesity, and it is where a person actually stops breathing while they are sleeping. One big side effect from sleep apnea can be death. If death is not enough reason to start losing weight.... what will be a good enough reason? Learn to choose life, and obesity will start to fade. Many people do not realize how important sleep is to weight loss, and becoming slim. If you are like many people your poor metabolism may be caused by your sleeping habits. Changing sleeping habits can be a first step in the right direction. Start your journey to a healthy, restful new lifestyle that can help lead to weight loss. Imagine that by sleeping you can actually lose weight faster, and safer than by not getting enough sleep.
Sleeping and weight loss how simple is that.