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.
Culver prom limo ..America's Obesity EpidemicAs the numbers of overweight Americans continue to... Read More
Body temperature is the result of your body generating and... Read More
After weight loss surgery it is important to include as... Read More
Wanna know the truth? If you're going to... Read More
Understanding the theory of adaptation (see previous article, Adaptation I)... Read More
Reading labels is an essential part of any weight loss... Read More
I am somebody who has had an ongoing battle with... Read More
People always ask me " how it is that your... Read More
Some of you will not like what I'm going to... Read More
A little information if often a dangerous thing... and many... Read More
In a culture of blame-shifting we often look for someone... Read More
Chances are if you've stepped foot in a gym or... Read More
Let's face facts; obesity is ripe today in America and... Read More
Everyone who has ever been on a diet has hit... Read More
In the medical community, "obesity" is generally said to be... Read More
A diet may be a fad diet or a healthy... Read More
We are inundated by exhortations to lose weight - from... Read More
Cellulite ? a word most women are very familiar with.... Read More
Losing fat in my opinion is not all that difficult.... Read More
Diet advice ? a million "experts", hundreds of snake-oil miracle... Read More
Good health is an invaluable bliss and you cannot simply... Read More
More likely than not a diet with end up a... Read More
Am I missing something here? If I am, someone please... Read More
CancerCoronary heart diseaseStrokeOsteoporosisMajor Depression from Brain StarvationHeadlines.WASHINGTON, Jun 22, 2004... Read More
With all of the conflicting studies and fuzzy interpretation of... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..For years the experts have been telling us that diets... Read More
All Diets Work: No Diets WorkHave you lost weight in... Read More
The holidays are definitely a special time of year. These... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
The cost of a tummy tuck is something to consider... Read More
It all begins with water .... Water makes up 75%... Read More
With the number of people suffering from obesity rising so... Read More
I don't know about you, but I absolutely love bread... Read More
I just read this conventional diet tip ? and we've... Read More
You've seen diet pill advertisements? You have read the testimonials... Read More
New gastric bypass patients say they miss food, they grieve... Read More
Many physical problems are related to obese condition, like difficulties... Read More
Dealing with your sweet-tooth can be one of the greatest... Read More
Axiom Number One - Nourish your body.Probably the most important... Read More
You are probably familiar with the weight loss connection with... Read More
Weight loss from exercise can be achieved by walking, running,... Read More
Close kept secrets to weight loss: Give me 9 days... Read More
We must all now be familiar with the Atkins Diet.... Read More
Are you concerned about the lack of exercise your child... Read More
The Atkins low-carb diet consists of four phases: Induction, Ongoing... Read More
Do you remember nodding your head with understanding during your... Read More
The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify,... Read More
Are you dieting your way to bone loss?Are you aware... Read More
Healthy eating has become part of your life, but you're... Read More
If you knew when you were going to die, would... Read More
Weight Loss |