When you think of weight loss, images of exercise and activity come to mind. Sleeping is probably one of the absolute last things you would think you should do more of. It may be common to associate sleep with laziness, but when it comes to weight loss you might want to reconsider.
We are all brought up on the recommendation that we need 8-9 hours of sleep a day. When you're young you fight naps like dogs fight baths, but as you age no one has to tell you twice. It's actually finding time to sleep in the midst of a seemingly never ending day that we struggle with. When we're crunched for time and have lots to do sleep tends to be the number one thing we all cut back on. However, studies have shown that less sleep can be detrimental to your health and can even put a damper on weight loss.
The Annals of Internal Medicine published two studies in 2004 showing that sleeping four to five hours a night increases hunger. Studies like this one have all shown a very close link between sleep and obesity. People who are obese usually do not get as much sleep as those who are not. Which begs the question, what comes first - does being overweight make sleeping more difficult or do difficulties with sleeping lead to weight gain?
The truth is they feed on each other. Obesity does negatively effect sleeping habits, and bad sleeping habits contribute to obesity. Joyce Walsleben, PhD, director of the Sleep Disorder Center at the New York University School of Medicine, and author of A Woman's Guide to Sleep: Guaranteed Solutions for a Good Night's Rest told WebMD.com that not sleeping enough imbalances your hormones, makes you glucose intolerant, and hinders your ability to metabolize food properly. Sleep is a restorative process. If you don't sleep enough, you feel lethargic and you have low energy.
If you need energy to get through your day and you don't get enough from sleep, you've got to get it from somewhere. You don't reach for a banana to get you through those long nights. Over time, this lack of rest will manifest itself in your health and rob you of it.
The main idea is that you need to charge your batteries. Just lay down and go to bed at a decent time! We're giving you permission to get that amazing night's rest you've been missing. Sleep more, and you'll likely find that you look and feel better. It's that simple.
