Trying to Lose Some Weight…Then Get Some Sleep

By Nutritionist Jaya Mohan

mohanjaya2003@yahoo.co.in

You have heard it right. Sleep is the most important ingredient for losing weight. A good night sleep is a basic requirement of a healthy mind and body. When you carve out a weight loss programme sleep may not find a mention but not sleeping enough can spoil your weight loss plans. Less sleep can even make  the weight loss journey tougher.

A strict diet, regular workout routine, no sugar, no carbs – all this may just go futile if you compromise on your sleep. We fail to realize that the key to get awarded for our efforts towards weight loss is SLEEP. There have been many researches which has proved that sleep has an impact on your weight. The research tested a sample of people for two weeks and found  that  despite being on a calorie restricted diet the weight/fat loss was slow  when  sleep time was cut down.  Sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on your hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. So for the group which was sleeping less was feeling hungerier more often, remained less satisfied and were struggling with  low energy levels. When you sleep better the  hormone leptin suppresses appetite and encourages the body to expend energy. Sleep deprivation does just the opposite and reduces leptin. While the other hormone Ghrelin which stimulates hunger reduces the metabolic rate and increases fat storage. A research has shown that sleeping lesser than 6 hours reduces Leptin and stimulates Ghrelin. According to a research from University of Chicago,lack of sleep results in the ability of the body to process Insulin hormone go awry. Insulin is needed by the body to convert sugar,starches and other food into energy. In short,sleep deprivation creates havoc for the metabolism of our body. So when

your body is unable to respond properly to Insulin,it has trouble processing fats from blood stream and ends up in storing them as fats.

Just not only for weightloss but good sleep plays an essential role in recovery,regeneration,detoxification and growth of the body too. When we wake up in the morning our mouths smell,our eyes have a dirty residue, all this is body’s way of throwing the toxins out. All the repair and regeneration of tissues take place while we are asleep. For example-when we  get bruised or have a fresh wound,it usually heals when we wake up in the morning.

I think its high time we started taking our Sleep hours as seriously as we take our Waking hours. The basics are quite simple-

1.shut down all your electronic gadgets,computer,cell phones,tv at least an hour before you hit the sack.

2.Create a bedtime ritual. Take a warm bath,read or meditate.

3.Stick to a schedule. Try to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. Even on weekends.

4.Watch your food and its timings. Avoid eating heavy meals and drinking alcohol close to bedtime. It may cause heartburn and make it difficult for you to sleep.Steer clear of sodas,coffee,tea and chocolates after 4.00 pm.Caffeine stays in thesystem for at least 5-6 hours.

5.Turn out the lights. Darkness induces your body to release natural sleep

hormone Melatonin,while light suppresses it.

While there are no hard and fast rules that applies to everyone, a good rule of thumb would be to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night.