Cozy Idea for a Winter Afternoon

Did you know that the amount of sleep you get effects your ability to lose weight? It's true. Those who slept only 5.5 hours per night lost 55% less weight than those who got a full 8 hours sleep. The reason for the difference - losing sleep effects several chemicals that influence your body and eating behaviors.

The chemicals are serotonin, dopamine, leptin and ghrelin. Lower levels of serotonin and dopamine have you running for sugary snacks to help you produce these chemicals. Leptin is an appetite suppressor and less sleep equals less leptin. Conversely, less sleep equals more of the appetite-boosting chemical Ghrelin. Put this all together and you have yourself at a disadvantage to achieving your goals.

What can you do about this? Aim for a good night's sleep - or at least an improved night's sleep. This is probably my worst of all bad habits. I burn the candle at both ends - a night owl in an early bird world. It is going to take some real resolve to change this.

An encouraging thought - if you increase your sleep by as little as 2 hours per week (that's 17 minutes per day) you can still put yourself into the healthy range for sleep.

On that thought, I recommend napping as an important weight loss aid. Treat yourself to a cozy nap this afternoon. You'll be one step closer to your goal.

Sources:

Automatic Fat-Burning Plan by Prevention (I don't have all citation info at this time - will update)

RealAge. (2011, January 24). Hit the snooze button to lose weight. Retrieved from http://www.realage.com/health-tips/weight-loss-secrets-good-night-sleep?src=edit&chan=tip&con=tip&click=p3b1

Roizen, Michael F. and Mehmet C. Oz. You on a Diet: the Owner's Manual for Waist Management, New York, NY: Free Press, 2006.