Chapter 12: Get Your Sleep
Although not normally associated with weight loss, sleep is imperative when it comes to dropping those excess pounds. How so?
Advantages of Peaceful Slumber
Just as your body loses more weight when it has enough water, the same can be said for when it gets enough sleep. When you get adequate shut-eye, you handle stress more effectively. This is especially important because stress causes your body to release cortisol – a major weight gain hormone!
Remember that food didn’t used to be as plentiful as it is nowadays. So, when people didn’t have the necessary food they needed, it created stress on their body. In an effort to conserve energy, their body boosted its cortisol production so they could survive famines.
Now we have different stressors. We’re trying to juggle work and home. We face financial and family problems. Even though the stress is different, our body responds the same way it did years ago – cortisol production goes up, taking our weight right with it.
So, when you sleep, your body isn’t in that stressed state. Instead, it starts to relax and produce endorphins instead of cortisol. Endorphins make you feel better and promote weight loss instead of weight gain.
Sleep is also the best time for your muscles to heal after those intense strength training workouts. That’s exactly what you want to happen so they grow big and strong and push your calorie burn higher than ever before!
Although we know it’s good for us, sleep is often pushed aside as unnecessary. However, research suggests that if you don’t get the minimum requirement of 7-10 hours nightly, you’ll likely have more fat.
Perform a Personal Sleep Inventory
Take a look at your sleep habits. Are you spending enough time in bed, or should you be spending more? What can you do to get yourself in bed earlier if it is an issue?
There are definitely times in our lives that we’re more sleep deprived, such as with an infant or when work is crazy. However, other things impact our shut-eye time too, such as late night video games, drinking and worrying about things beyond our control.
One of the best ways to sleep better at night is to de-stress your body. Keep your body active, spend some time in the sun and limit your caffeine intake. If you have a lot on your mind, write it in a diary or share your concerns with a friend. You can also do some form of yoga or meditation to relieve some stress.
Try to avoid taking medications as they can become addictive. If you want to take something, try melatonin supplements.
If you live in an apartment or have noisy neighbors, use earplugs or get a white noise machine. Also, trim down the light in your room by getting curtains that darken the room or turning the display on your alarm clock so it faces away from you.
Create a feeling of serenity by relaxing before bed. Drink something warm, like a nice cup of tea. Take a hot bath or cuddle up with a blanket or book.
When you get good sleep, you’ll find it easier to handle life. And, since you’re going to be changing yours a little bit with healthier behavior, why not set yourself up for success?