Weight Loss – The Sleep Prescription

There are many reasons why people are more overweight nowadays than they ever have been before. It is true – as a society, obesity is becoming epidemic, and it's starting to affect people of all ages. The fact that more children are obese nowadays is especially worrying, for example. There are, however, some good reasons why this is the case, and if we can get to the bottom of the reasons behind weight gain, we can also use this information to come up with a weight loss prescription that really works.

One key component seems to be sleep. We all know how important sleep is – in fact, without enough sleep, our bodies may even undergo a complete physical and mental breakdown. Now there is evidence to suggest that a lack of sleep can also lead to weight gain. Here's how it works – not getting enough sleep leads to a general state of malaise – you just don't feel very well when you don't sleep. Our bodies instinctively seek to regain a feeling of wellbeing by eating – particularly foods that are high in carbohydrates and other sugars. When you eat a lot of carbs, there is a serotonin response that makes you feel better for a short while. So, we look to food as a 'remedy' for lack of sleep, because in a sense it works – at least in the short term. Over time, of course, that leads to weight gain. So, conversely, making sure that you get enough sleep is a great way to kick start or to augment your weight loss plan.

How much sleep is enough? It varies from person to person. A figure that is commonly bandied about is eight hours, but that's an average. Some people need less sleep than that, and will do just fine with four hours. For others, eight hours isn't quite enough – they need nine or ten hours, at least most nights.

How did our ancestors fair, considering that many of them had to be up at the crack of dawn to attend to farm chores? Actually, they did quite well, compared to us. They got to bed on time – sometimes with the sun, but always before midnight. I have heard it said that an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight. That may or may not be true, but what is certain is that today's modern lifestyle is playing havoc with our sleep patterns and that this has a big effect on weight and overall health.

If you aren't used to getting to bed on time, here are some hints to get you started. First of all, maintain the same bedtime all the time, even on the weekends. Likewise, you should get up at around the same time every day. Make your sleep and waking hours predictable, in other words.

Some people think that they can 'catch up' on lost sleep by sleeping late on the weekend. Actually, while this might work in the short term, in the long term nothing could be further from the truth. Sleeping late on the weekends sets you up for a destructive pattern – you won't be able to get to sleep on time on Sunday night, and you'll start the week off with a sleep deficit.

On the other hand, naps, if they're short, can be a great way to catch up on sleep in the short term. Catching a short nap – half an hour or so – in the afternoon is a great habit to get into – in fact, most of our ancestors did precisely that. In fact, if you feel like you're short on energy in the afternoon, try a nap instead of reaching for a coffee of a chocolate bar. That's a much better way of boosting your energy for the rest of the day.

Just sleeping more probably isn't the answer to all your weight loss problems- it is, however, a great start. This simple measure can give you an improved feeling of wellbeing, which means that you won't be trying to 'feel better' by eating food that your body doesn't really need. Of course, another benefit is the fact that increasing your sleep means that you will you'll have more energy for exercising!