Weight Loss Made Easy…Tip #9

Author: Shannon Miller

I’m so jealous of my son who goes to bed at 7pm and takes 2 naps during the day! I love to sleep and it’s true that it helps with weight loss. Of course there are so many benefits to getting the right amount of zzz’s including more energy throughout the day and better clarity in your thinking. In addition, you will be more productive and more apt to workout.

As we near the end of our 10 part series on weight loss with nationally renowned author & speaker, Susan Smith Jones, PhD, I encourage you to look back over the first 8 easy weight loss tips and keep up the great work!

Sleep it off!

Sleep plays a major role in glucose metabolism and neuroendocrine function. Research shows that getting a good night’s sleep is a critical part of losing weight. In a study involving 70,000 women, researchers fond that women who slept 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the 16-year study, compared to those who slept 7 hours a night.

Sleeping less affects changes in a person’s basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn when you rest). In one study, researchers found that children who did not get sufficient hours of sleep were more likely than their well-rested peers to be overweight.

It’s possible that reduced sleep means adults and kids are tired and therefore less likely to exercise. There is also some evidence that lack of sleep produces changes in levels of satiety and the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin, according to many studies.

For more on Susan Smith Jones, PhD, or her new book, The Joy Factor: 10 Sacred Practices for Radiant Health, please visit:  www.SusanSmithJones.com