Sleep and Weight

How many of you manage to sleep at least 8 hours each night? For me, this is a RARE occurrence, and I'm sure many of you feel the same way. While many of us know how important sleep is, it's sometimes difficult to manage 8 hours of sleep when we're busy trying to manage the hours of our ‘awake' life on a tight schedule! Sleep and weight management have a direct correlation. Multiple studies have shown that BMI (Body Mass Index) increases with sleep durations that are significantly less than 8 hours per night. So, if you're sleeping significantly less than 6 hours every night, you may have more difficulty losing weight than someone who sleeps 8 hours per night on average. Short sleep duration also shows an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Restricting sleep can create abnormalities in glucose and insulin levels, as well as de-regulate the balance of other important hormones.

This being said, try to focus on getting MORE SLEEP this week! The majority of us are chronically tired. Focus on making bedtime a calm, pleasant ritual that you look forward to. Your bed should be a place that relaxes you; get rid of ANY stressful distractions. I tend to sleep with a pile of journals, magazines and mystery novels beside my pillow. I've realized that this creates a feeling of disorganization and clutter, and I have trouble falling asleep. Removing all of this from the bed & bed-side table allows me to focus on calming myself down and feeling comfortable. When I'm rested, I tend to stay on track with my eating and exercise; you'll feel the same when your sleep patterns are under control.

For the next week, make it your goal to feel rested when you wake up. I know this is easier said than done, but if you can manage to feel rested, you'll be more motivated to be active and stay on track with your eating. I too am going to make this my personal goal. If you're a chronic non-sleeper like me, try to get at least an extra hour of sleep each night, and see how you feel.

Remember to focus on your ultimate goal of being healthy. Always plan your strategy for the day. Set aside time for meals, activity and down time, if possible. If you fall off-track, just get back on track the very next meal or snack. You can do this. NEVER give up on yourself.

Dr. Doug