Lifecentury

Did you know that even proper sleep can make you lose weight? Here is case of a young female Chetna who has not slept for months properly. She works in a BPO company and drinks 15-20 cups of black coffee at night to keep her awake as she works from 7 pm to 7 am everyday. She has put on weight over a period of time. Like Chetna the others who are worst hit with sleeping disarray and weight gain are the business process outsource workforce, the healthcare employees, the medical practitioners and even the journalists who have either shifting work schedules or prolonged and continuous night shifts.

Do you know that there is a correlation between weight gain and sleep deprivation? Many people do not know that lack of sleep not only leads to obesity but also to depression, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, decreased efficiency, acute abdominal pains and irregular periods too. Another correlation between lack of sleep and weight gain has to do with the production of hormones. Leptin and Grehlin are hormones that help the body control appetite and weight gain and loss. Leptin suppresses appetite, while Grehlin increases appetite and may prevent a person from losing weight. Theses hormones represent the 'yin-yang' of appetite regulation. When lack of sleep becomes a chronic problem, levels of Grehlin increase, causing greater appetite, and levels of Leptin decrease. Regardless of diet and exercise, it's possible that some obesity is caused, or made worse, by sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation interferes with appetite-suppressing hormones, increases stress hormone levels, and decreases a person's glucose tolerance, all of which may contribute to weight gain. A study by Professor Francesco Cappuccio of the University of Warwick's Warwick Medical School found that shorter sleep duration is associated with almost a two-fold increased risk of being obese. The research also suggests that those who sleep less have a greater increase in body mass index and waist circumference and a greater chance of becoming obese over time.

Thus, sleep is essential as this is the time when our bodies replenish; repairing the mental and physical wear-and-tear we suffer during the day. Present generation seems to have forgotten the importance of sleep. They are all under pressure to perform, in school, at work, in social and professional settings, and tempted by multiple diversions. There is a sense that you can pack in more of life by skimping on sleep. But we are finding that people tend to replace reduced sleep with added calories, and that's not a healthy bargain. Since the brain is fueled by glucose, it seeks simple carbohydrates when distressed by lack of sleep. Thus, sleep loss may help pile on the pounds through late-night munching. At the same time, the added difficulty of making decisions while sleepy may weaken the motivation to select more nutritious foods, making it harder to push away the doughnuts or chips in favor of a low-fat yoghurt or a bowl of salad.

Go to bed and get up at the same time each day to help achieve sounder sleep.
Expending more calories than you take in is the simple science behind any successful weight-loss program. The best way to do this is to eat a healthy, low-calorie diet and boost the amount of time you spend exercising. Your exercise should include anything that gets your heartbeat up for extended periods of time, such as for twenty to thirty minutes. This can include jogging, biking, playing tennis, just playing outside with your kids, doing yard work, and much more. The ideal type of exercise routine to be used as part of your natural cure for insomnia is basically any kind of exercise routine that you enjoy doing – and the more you enjoy it, the better. This is the only way that you will be able to keep it up.

Thus, set yourself up for success by living a balanced lifestyle, in addition to balancing calorie intake and expenditure. Here are some simple tips to have a good night sleep without resorting to any kind of drugs or other unnatural aids:

Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep.
Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed to produce melatonin and serotonin that in turn help in improving sleep.
Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier.
Avoid caffeine. A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.
Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing.
Lose weight. Being overweight can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful sleep at night.
Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products, as they may have effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, and gas, among others.
Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the toilet or at least minimize the frequency.
Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes everyday can help you fall asleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can do it.