Do you know that over the last 50 years we have reduced the amount of time we spend asleep by up to two hours a night? A huge number of us get less than eight hours sleep a night. You might think there’s nothing wrong with that, but do you realize that in the same period, the number of people who are either overweight or obese has increased dramatically. Is there a connection? Scientists believe there is.
Are you aware of how much sleep you get every night? Do you have a good sleep or an interrupted sleep? How often do you wake up? Maybe you sleep all the way through the night?
People are beginning to realize that the amount of sleep we get is very important. Unfortunately, we live in an age where it is very easy to be caught up in general ‘busyness’ or hijacked by a late night television program.
What scientists have discovered is that when we don’t get enough sleep our body sends a powerful signal to our brain to say that it’s not had enough rest. The brain interprets this as being an energy deficit and immediately fires up our appetite.
Your body’s reaction is to replace the deficit as quickly as possible. You answer the request with high-calorie carbohydrate. Have you ever wondered why sugary breakfast cereals are so popular? You start your day eating the wrong type of food and that does your weight loss efforts a power of no good.
We need 7-8 hours’ sleep every night. If we don’t get the right amount of sleep, our ability to perform effectively decreases markedly and we put on weight. The more overweight we become, the greater the likelihood that we have a poor quality sleep pattern. Come the morning we’ll be starving!
If you are looking to lose weight permanently, it’s important that you get the right amount of sleep. Get into the habit of sleep and you will make your weight loss efforts so much easier.
The interesting thing about establishing a new habit is that it takes repetition and practice…sleep? Now there’s a challenge!
