subject: How to Lose Weight While You Sleep [print this page] How to Lose Weight While You Sleep How to Lose Weight While You Sleep
Do you want to lose weight while you sleep? I do. You probably never realized just how important sleep is relative to weight loss. Getting ample amounts of sleep is crucial in order for your body to lose weight. Not getting enough sleep can have a detrimental impact on your health and well-being.
Dr. Sanjay Patel, a researcher at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, conducted a 16 year study of almost 70,000 people. Dr. Patel found that those who slept five hours or less were 30 percent more likely to gain 30-plus pounds than those who slept more. There are dozens of studies that show there is a direct link between lack of sleep and weight loss. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average woman gets six hours and 40 minutes of sleep per night. Experts agree that the average person needs at least seven and a half hours of sleep to stay healthy.
So what is the connection between sleep and weight loss?At the 2009 annual meeting of Associated Professional Sleep Societies, Dr. Walter Moreas of the Universidad of Sao Paolo Brazil presented the results of a study which found that people lose weight three times as fast while asleep than while laying in bed awake. The human brain is responsible for 20% of the body's total energy consumption. According to Dr. Dennis Rosen, a pediatric sleep specialist, during REM, rapid eye sleep, in which we spend 25% of out total sleep time, the brain's metabolic rate, the rate at which it consumes energy, is higher than when you are awake. During sleep, the body's temperature drops until it reaches REM at which point it increases. This results in increased caloric expenditure. By depriving yourself of sleep, you spend less time in REM when you burn the most calories. Think about that the next time you decide not to sleep as much.
When people are deprived of sleep, their bodies produce more of the hormone called grehlin'. It is commonly referred to as the "go" hormone because it makes you want to go eat more. Not only do you want to eat more, but your body craves junk food because it is filled with simple carbohydrates which it can break down faster to get energy quicker. In addition, your body produces less of the hormone called "leptin" which regulates your appetite.
When you're rested, you have more energy and exercise does not feel as difficult. There is a direct correlation between lack of energy and the willingness to exercise. Lack of energy is often due to poor sleeping habits. If you want more energy for exercise, sleep more!
So what's the bottom line? You need to get enough sleep in order to capitalize on the weight loss benefits of REM. We could all use the added benefit of losing weight while we sleep. Why deprive yourself of the easiest way to lose weight. Think about it. How difficult is sleeping? Not very difficult. Sleep and lose weight. Sounds pretty cool huh?
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