Sleep Better, Lose Weight

Are you getting enough sleep? There’s a good chance you’re not. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that 30% of adults have insomnia, most of them women. Sleep is as vital to your health as eating right and exercising. In fact, not getting enough shut-eye can cause an increased appetite and weight gain. To commemorate National Better Sleep Month, learn the dos and don’ts for getting shut-eye:

DO get at least 7 hours of sleep. Did you think that eight was the magic number? Not so; some women thrive on only seven hours, though others may need more to feel refreshed, according the National Sleep Foundation.

Sleepless people pack on the pounds, says Donnica Moore, M.D., president of the Sapphire Women’s Health Group and a consultant for the National Sleep Foundation.

Scientists don’t know why but suspect that sleep-deprived people have lower levels of appetite-controlling hormones, such as leptin and ghrelin. Or maybe we just gobble more food when we’re tired, according to a recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study.

Many women work frantically until 10 p.m., and then, after the kids and husband are snoozing, binge in the kitchen, Moore says. “If you’re tired, you need to go to bed – not eat.”

DO keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool. It will help your body realize it’s time for bed, and will help you stay asleep longer.

To create the ideal sleeping environment, get rid of distracting lights and sounds. Shut all the curtains or blinds in your bedroom, and turn off the night light (you’re an adult now.)

If other family members are staying up later than you and keeping the lights or TV on, keep your door closed and ask them not to bother you once you’re in bed.

Open your window (as long as it’s quiet outside) or keep the fan or air conditioner on to keep a comfortably cool room temperature
DON’T drink alcohol before bedtime. Think a good stiff drink will give you a good night’s sleep? Wrong! At first, that hot toddy will make you feel drowsy and calm, but you’ll pay for it later.

It’ll increase the number of times you wake up during the night, Moore says.

Alcohol also can make snoring louder and exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea, Jacobs says.

DON’T watch TV. This sounds easy, but it’s often the hardest to enforce: Turn off the TV and lights, log off the computer, put away the game, and go to sleep on time!

A full night’s sleep allows your body to rest and prepares you for the day ahead.

TV might seem like a great way to lull you to sleep, but you’re actually prolonging the time between crawling into bed and actually falling asleep.

And if you’re not asleep, it doesn’t count as sleep time. TV also captivates the mind and the imagination, stimulating your brain with vibrant colors and sounds and keeping you awake longer.