Sunday, April 22, 2012

Lack of sleep causes you to overeat

Lack of sleep causes you to overeat

Get Some Sleep to Prevent an Overeat!

Author: Helen Kartika

"Sleep is like a bank account. Every day you draw on the balance and if you don't deposit around 8 hours a night you end up overdrawn." -Dr. David Hamilton, Sleep Health Foundation

I'll be the first to admit that with a busy schedule consistent with work deadlines, trying to keep a clean house whilst also attempting to live a balanced social life, that sleep is not always my priority.

Apparently, a 7am wake up with a midnight bedtime (a common occurrence) is as bad as drink driving. Studies show that 17 hours without sleep is the equivalent of having a blood alcohol level of 0.05. So technically at bedtime I'm the equivalent of being legally drunk, and without a good night's sleep I'm pretty much turning up to work tipsy!

Not only that but a study at the Roosevelt Hospital in New York showed that men and women who suffered from a lack of sleep consumed an average of 300 more calories a day compared to when they had been sleeping normally. A similar study showed that adults lost 55 % less fat when they got 5.5 hours of sleep a night when compared to those who slept for 8.5 hours.

Why does this occur?

Less sleep means that the body increases energy and fat intakes, slows the metabolism by 5 to 20 percent whilst also increasing the body's stress hormone, cortisol.

3 Tips to help you sleep:

  • Avoid alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes- Alcohol will help you to sleep but may disrupt it during the night. Caffeine and cigarettes are stimulants and will keep you awake if consumed before bed.
  • Your bed is a place for sleep- Don't let technology or other distractions interfere with your rest. Train your body to identify your bed with sleep.
  • Minimise the daytime nap- If it's absolutely necessary allow only a 20-30 minute nap during the day. Otherwise, you'll find it much more difficult to sleep well at night.

Lucy : )

What are your thoughts about sleep and weight loss?

This article is from The Digest Blog where you can find interesting articles on weight loss, wellness, fitness and nutrition as well as motivational pieces at http://www.sureslim.com.au/blog/

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/get-some-sleep-to-prevent-an-overeat-5837991.html

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