Weight Loss and Its Relation to Sleep

Weight Loss is a problem of many people throughout the world. Various routines have been designed to address the issue. Still, after all the efforts, a lot of individuals fail to lose weight. What may be the problem?
How can sleep be related in the success of weight loss? What are the processes involved in our sleeping time? Is it really important to get enough sleep? Isn't everything just about food?
Sleep Less, Weigh More
Ghrelin is an appetite stimulating hormone while Leptin suppresses food intake. When ghrelin levels increase, Leptin levels decrease. A study showed that sleep restriction, increased ghrelin by 28% and reduced Leptin by 18%.
When a person is sleep deprived, his ghrelin levels increases and relatively triggers hunger sensation. Leptin, on the other hand, is reduced leaving lesser appetite suppressant. So you tend to be hungrier and eat more. Weight Loss would never happen in this situation.
Facts about Sleeping
Six to eight hours of sleep is recommended for our body and mind to be restored.
Our sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm informs our bodies to physically recharge between 10pm to 2am while mentally recover between 2am to 6am.
Being well rested maintains a balance to our circadian rhythm, metabolism, and physiological functions.
Disrupted sleep patterns may cause mild to complicated health problems such as headache, memory loss, insomnia, anxiety, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Benefits of Sleep
Recharges you physically, mentally and emotionally. This would let you make good decisions, focused and alert during the day.
Renews our body and mind. Sleep sharpens our memory and enhances learning.
Keeps you away from numerous health diseases
Repairs tissues and eliminates wastes in our body
Enhance mood and stress relief
Boosts your immune system
Get to Bed!
· Make your room dark. Putting off the light in your room enables you to sleep easier. Our normal circadian rhythms of day and night are the mechanism for this. Day means work and night is for sleep. Wear eye masks, if you can not avoid light.
· Stick with your schedule. Our body clock operates for our wake and sleep pattern. We should not change it even during weekends. Once we have established our routine and stick with it. We will be having no problems at all.
· Get relaxed. Lighting up candles and using essential oils may be a great way to lessen stress at night. This is called aromatherapy. Reading a book or writing in a journal also relieves tension. Having a massage, if available is also great. Oftentimes, a hot bath does the trick. You can also listen to soothing music.
· No Liquids before two hours before bedtime. Do not also drink caffeine or eat sugar rich food to avoid being awake.
· No Television in the bedroom
· Maintain room temperature
Weight Loss is also influenced by our sleeping habits. For someone who wanted to be really fit, we must not overlook that eating the right food is the only factor. Truly, there are many things involved in achieving a healthy and holistic lifestyle.
Do you want to finally achieve your Weight Loss goals and maintain your ideal body weight? Then click on the following link now for instant access.frome EzineArticles.com by Sam_Perkins.