Sleep Your Weight Away: Is This Possible?

By HelloLife

Plenty of sleep is good for your health

We all know getting adequate sleep is recommended for overall good health. Reducing stress, recharging our batteries, and resting the mind are important for our bodies in this fast-paced, modern world. But did you know simply sleeping can help you lose weight? This is good news for those of us who struggle with this issue.

Sleep is as important as eating right and exercising

Most people who are trying to lose weight concentrate on two things, eating right and exercising.

Eating wholesome foods is recommended: leafy greens, plenty of grains, fresh fruit, legumes, and even "healthy" carbohydrates.

Exercising for thirty minutes a day is the second part of this regimen.

And while these two components are essential for good health, a third crucial component that must be mentioned is getting enough sleep.

Weighing the side effects of skimping on sleep

Restful sleep, which is calculated at eight hours a night or more, ensures that the body completes each cycle of sleep. Side effects of not getting enough rest, or completing every cycle of sleep, could include irritability, fatigue, and even craving high-fat foods. In turn, it becomes easy to want to assuage these negative effects with things that are bad for us, to be exact, things that make it difficult to control our weight. For example, if we are feeling irritable, we may turn to drinking, in general, a high-calorie choice and one that is not liable to make us feel energetic enough to hit the gym. If we are feeling fatigued, we are also not going to be inclined to meet our goal of thirty minutes of daily exercise. Finally, when we feel depressed, we are often tempted to reach for the cookie jar, or indulge in some high calorie, high fat comfort food as we settle in for a night of TV watching.

How to get a good night's sleep

So we've established why our nightly rest is important to our health. But what if we find achieving that goal is a difficult feat? Here are some tips that might make achieving this goal easier:

Keep the laptop in the office and the TV in the living room. The bedroom should be considered a sanctuary in which to relax and sleep.
Make getting enough sleep a priority! A good night's sleep is the foundation for good eating and exercising habits. Without this component, our regimen for good health is unbalanced.
Unwind before bed time naturally. Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate, and may contribute to an overactive mind. Try an herbal tea like chamomile instead.

Sleep Your Weight Away: Is This Possible? Yes!

It is possible to control your weight by making it a priority in your health regimen, which should include proper eating and daily exercise. The above tips may help you get a better night's sleep, and therefore, maintain a healthy weight. If, however, you are having problems falling asleep, or experience more severe symptoms such as restless legs, chronic pain, or breathing difficulties, you should consult your doctor.

Sources: http://www.weightlossmd.com/Sleep_Disorders.asp

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=129