Sleep - how does it affect weight loss? And how can you get a better nights sleep?

Sleep – we all need it, but sometimes we are all so busy that we start burning the midnight oil and don’t get enough! But how does that affect our health?

Well for one, according to the research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine sleeping less than seven hours per night can reduce and/or undo the benefits of dieting.

Hmmmmm, lets thank about this.

I know previously if I was sleepy at work I tend to reach for a cup of coffee (well maybe more than one) and sometimes some chocolate for a quick shot of energy. I may even miss my workout in the morning to try and get a few extra zzzzzz’s thinking I will get to it later (which often just doesn’t happen). Then since I am tired and so busy I would grab something quick and easy (read unhealthy) for dinner, and then when it is finally time for bed I was either too wound up to sleep or getting a second wind.

It’s a vicious cycle, and eventually this sleep deprivation can sabotage your waistline and your health.

It starts out innocently enough. “When you have sleep deprivation and are running on low energy, you automatically go for a bag of potato chips, chocolate or other comfort foods,”

The immediate result? You may be able to fight off sleepiness. The ultimate result? Unwanted pounds as poor food choices coupled with lack of exercise set the stage for obesity and further sleep loss.

You might have heard about people talking about the “sleep diet”, or losing weight whilst you sleep in magazines or diet books. So is that true …. I did some research to find out:

“It’s not so much that if you sleep, you will lose weight, but if you are sleep-deprived, meaning that you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly,” explains Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep and the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Ariz.

So how exactly does lack of sleep affect our ability to lose weight?

Breus, explains that it has to do with our nightly hormones:

The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”

More ghrelin plus less leptin equals weight gain.

WOW, so it is true about how sleep is so important in helping you lose weight! But what if you just can’t fall asleep at night? What can you do to help yourself get those oh so important 7 hours of sleep?

Tips for getting a better nights sleep

Avoid any caffeine in the afternoon
Drinking caffeine in the afternoon will keep you in the lighter stages of sleep -- which are associated with poor sleep -- at night
Exercise also helps improve sleep quality.
How soon before bed should you exercise? It depends -- everyone is different. It’s more important that you exercise than it is when you exercise.
Watch what you eat before bedtime. “Pizza and beer before bedtime is not a good idea,” says Breus. “Neither is eating a big meal close to bedtime.”
Heavy, rich meals before bed can also increase risk of heartburn, which will certainly keep you up all night.
Support your body's natural rhythms
Getting in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, is one of the most important strategies for achieving good sleep. If you keep a regular sleep schedule—going to bed and getting up at the same time each day—you will feel much more refreshed and energized than if you sleep the same number of hours at different times. This holds true even if you alter your sleep schedule by only an hour or two. Consistency is vitally important.
Make sure you wind down and clear your head before bed
Do you find yourself unable to sleep or waking up night after night? Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well. When you wake up or can’t get to sleep, take note of what seems to be the recurring theme. That will help you figure out what you need to do to get your stress and anger under control during the day.
Try these relaxation tips before bed
Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex
If you associate your bed with events like work or errands, it will be harder to wind down at night. Use your bed only for sleep and sex. That way, when you go to bed, your body gets a powerful cue: it’s time to either sleep or be romantic.