If you're like me, you probably wish that there was a way for you to lose weight without having to put in much effort, right?
Everyone knows the importance of exercise and how it helps us with weight loss, but on some days don't we all wish we can just sleep in bed and lose weight at the same time?
Well, I've got some great news for you...
Sleep is a critical part of your weight loss program!
This is a little-known fact, but did you know that sleep can affect your weight? Rather, it's the lack of sleep that can make you put on unnecessary weight. You may actually lose more weight if only you were to sleep more every day. What an intriguing thought, isn't it?
In a review of several studies examining the impact of sleep on the regulation of metabolism, Dr. Eve Van Cauter, Professor and Research Associate at the University of Chicago, noted that the association between hormones and sleep was identified more than 30 years ago when it was reported that adult men secrete growth hormone during the early phase of sleep. Since then, research has indicated a harmful effect of sleep loss on the endocrine system and glucose modulation.
One study examined the effect of sleep debt and sleep recovery on hormone concentrations and glucose tolerance in healthy males ages 18-27. One week of sleep restriction produced dramatic results: a 30 percent slower response to both the glucose tolerance test and acute insulin response compared with results in rested subjects. Sleep deprivation also raised the 24-hour cortisol profile.
Another study found that sleep deprivation resulted in 30 percent lower levels of leptin. Amazingly, the effect is similar to that observed with caloric restriction (3,000 calories over 3 days), signaling a negative energy balance.
A more recent study examined the effect of 10 vs. 4 hours of sleep on appetite. Subjects who slept 4 hours were always hungry and craved starchy, sweet, and salty foods. These results suggest that sleep deprivation produces a signal mimicking negative energy balance, inducing people to eat and thereby predisposing to obesity.
These results indicate an association between sleep debt and obesity. Sleep deprivation would affect glucose tolerance and leptin levels and increase the appetite for unhealthy foods. She noted that sleep restriction would have greater impact on obese individuals, who have higher leptin levels to begin with, and on older adults.
Dr. Van Cauter also noted that the studies were performed in males only. Because females have higher baseline levels of some hormones (e.g. leptin), sleep restriction might have worse effects in women than in men.
Hey, did you notice the groups which were mentioned specifically in the last 2 paragraphs that may be more severely affected by sleep deprivation? I'll recap them here again: (1) obese individuals, (2) older adults, and (3) women.
That's really crucial for us because this means if you're a woman over 40, not getting enough sleep will probably make you feel hungry constantly and crave for all the unhealthy foods even more as compared to other people. And the more overweight you are, the more you may be affected by the lack of sleep.
Not surprisingly, another study has indeed found an inverse relationship between increased body mass index (BMI) and sleep duration in women. That is, women who do not sleep enough tend to be more overweight than women who get sufficient sleep.
And just in case you still believe in the myth that "Oh, it's alright because I'll catch up on my sleep on the weekends", you should note that Dr. Van Cauter also made the following observation: Sleep debt is generally not paid back fully by weekend sleep. I suppose this is kind of like the saying "An apple a day, keeps the doctor away" -- eating 7 apples on Sunday instead of 1 a day just isn't going to give you the same results!
Now, I'm _not_ saying that you don't have to exercise and all you have to do to lose weight is to sleep it off. Exercise, strength training and physical activities in general are vital components of a permanent weight loss program.
It's simply that if you don't sleep enough, you'll just be making it more difficult for yourself to lose the extra weight. There's no point in sabotaging your chances of weight loss success if it's a simple matter of making sure you get enough sleep every night, right? I mean, how much easier can it get?
According to William Dement, Stanford University sleep researcher, adults need about 8 hours of sleep a night. Try your best to get this amount every day, and you'll reduce one more obstacle in your path to attaining your desired ideal weight. Simple idea, isn't it?
Copyright 2005 Tracy Lee
Tracy Lee is the owner of the "Weight Loss for Women Over 40" site. Get the latest news, tips & tricks that can help women over 40 to lose weight safely and permanently, and your complimentary copy of our Special Report "9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women Over 40 Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear" instantly here:
http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/insidersecrets/
This article is available for reprint in your ezine, website or e-book. You MUST agree not to make any changes to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included WITH A LIVE LINK back to our website. Otherwise reprint is prohibited.
Chicago limo Skokie ..Abdominal fat is now seen as a growing health hazard,... Read More
Are you wondering why you're not losing weight? If you're... Read More
We all know it's hard to begin losing weight, no... Read More
Serious diet pills are intended for people who are overweight... Read More
You are probably familiar with the weight loss connection with... Read More
Many gastric bypass patients report melon to be one of... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
There's nothing more fun then being creative with food and... Read More
Hold the onions! Let's talk "liver". No, not beef liver,... Read More
One common question I receive is, "What do you do... Read More
Weight Loss and Water: A Way to Make Your Body... Read More
Diet information is everywhere. In advertisements, on TV, in magazines;... Read More
It's the American Dream: "If I could just lose a... Read More
Remember there's more to you than meets the eye. You've... Read More
Twenty years of health club consulting, 50,000 hours of paid... Read More
How would you like Julia Roberts to coach you on... Read More
One way of recognizing a fad diet is... Read More
Fat has had a lot of bad press and for... Read More
I had some questions come in about Ephedra. So I... Read More
Do you remember nodding your head with understanding during your... Read More
When considering that pathological eating disorders and their related diseases... Read More
Here are the 4 things you need to know about... Read More
When I decided to lose weight I of course decided... Read More
Your brain has this really interesting system that is kind... Read More
Success stories on the gastric bypass are everywhere, but how... Read More
limo O'Hare Bonfield ..Did you know that how and when you eat is... Read More
Thankfully, winter does not last forever! In the spring there... Read More
As a weight loss coach I speak will people regularly... Read More
A 'diet' is always seen as a temporary measure. An... Read More
How did a thin person like me become overweight? My... Read More
If I Want to Lose Weight, What Can I Do... Read More
Gastric bypass surgery involves stapling the stomach to make it... Read More
Many people today are interested in weight loss and weight... Read More
In the battle to look good, there's a cosmetic treatment... Read More
Students today are faced with the serious reality of unwanted... Read More
There are many subscriber programs available both online and in... Read More
Causes of ObesityJust like there is no weight loss pill... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
Why is it so hard to lose weight and keep... Read More
Fighting obesity has become one of the most important issues... Read More
1. Persistence!Violate this step and you'll never achieve permanent results.... Read More
An ancient practice from Eastern Medicine, bowel cleansing is fast... Read More
Gastric bypass surgeries are temporary physical fixes to a long... Read More
You may be considering weight loss surgery if you are... Read More
Do you know this year Florida will go through a... Read More
The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem. There... Read More
I personal lost 60 pounds in 2003. Here are some... Read More
Are you Telling Yourself It's Too Hard to Lose Weight?Telling... Read More
Put simply, your resting metabolic rate is the minimum number... Read More
The people of earlier times depended on the rich resource... Read More
Weight Loss |