The Wellness of You - # 204 - Sleep More — Lose Weight
How did you sleep last night? How about the night before — or the night before that? Did you get enough sleep? Did you get close the the often recommended eight hours? Do you ever have trouble getting to sleep — or — once you are asleep do you ever have a problem staying asleep? Do you wake up tired in the morning?
These are all important questions. You may be in a situation where your work life or other demands are being made on your life that make it difficult to get enough sleep. Whatever the case, you may be surprised to learn that if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you could be affecting your ability to lose weight and keep it off.
According to recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and Lancet, sleep deprivation can negatively influence the stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex (in the adrenal gland). It increases blood pressure, blood sugar levels and has an immunosuppressive action.
I can hear it now — “Yeah, so what?”
It’s interesting but here’s why. Pay special attention to the information about blood sugar levels.
If you aren’t getting adequate sleep, you may find you’re hungry even after eating a sufficient amount of food. Why? Because, in addition to affecting appetite control, sleep loss can also interfere with carbohydrate metabolism (the process of breaking down carbs). This leads to an increase in blood glucose levels, causing insulin to be released, which can lead to weight gain and increased fat storage. You’re getting a huge dose of insulin because of your lack of sleep — and that means more fat!
Fortunately, you can prevent these problems — and potentially jump-start weight loss or overcome a weight stall — by taking the following precautions to help you get a good night’s sleep:
* Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex only — bill paying, watching TV, and other sleep-robbing activities should be conducted elsewhere.
* Don’t go to bed hungry. Enjoy a light snack, like a low-fat cheese stick or a slice of lean deli meat before bedtime. That doesn’t mean a dish of ice cream or a piece of chocolate cake or a bowl of sugar-laden cereal, folks. It should be low-fat or no-fat and it should definitely be sugar free.
* Refrain from exercise three hours before bedtime, since exercise releases the hormone epinephrine, which can make you more alert. But log in some workout time during the day, which may improve your ability to sleep.
* Don’t drink caffeine (or any other stimulant — like a sugary soda for example) within several hours of retiring to bed. Alcohol should also be avoided within several hours of bedtime as it can cause early awakening. And, of course, if you still smoke, don’t just quit before bedtime — just quit!
* If you typically have trouble sleeping at night, avoid napping during the day.
* If you’ve been trying to fall asleep for more than 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing (take a bath, read a magazine, record your thoughts in a journal, meditate) until you feel sleepy.
* Make sure your environment is conducive to sleeping (comfortable light, sound free or soothing sounds, and temperature).
* Be consistent about the time you go to bed and what time you wake up each day — even on weekends!
Sleep tight! Don’t let the bed bugs bite!
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My email and phone number are at that site. Feel free to contact me. I’m here to help you with your health, nutrition and fitness goals.
Have a healthy and nutritious day!
Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)
Ron
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