Lose Weight by Sleeping

Do you fell that you need to lose weight? Well then don’t just count calories.
You might want to count sheep as well.
Recent studies have shown that sleep deprivation disrupts a series of metabolism
and hormonal processes. It causes increased hunger and affects the body’s
metabolism making it difficult to lose and control weight.
Lack of sleep causes a hormone called cortisol, which controls the appetite, to
take excess calories and store them as excess body fat. In addition, sleep loss
interferes with carbohydrate metabolism which may cause high blood glucose
levels. The excess amount of glucose encourages the overproduction of insulin,
which may lead to diabetes or even obesity.
Furthermore, sleep deprivation can promote weight gain by affecting our
behavior. People who lack sleep tended to crave sweets or high carbohydrate,
high fat food with low nutrient value. They tend to snack on chips, cakes,
pastries, burgers, fries, soft drinks, etc. Though the short-term rise in blood
sugar, brought on by these snacks, gives a surge of energy, the extra calories
are not needed by the body and must be stored as body fat.
These calories are not so easily shed than taken. When they are sleep deprived,
people are often too tired to exercise or they work out less intensely than
usual. They commonly feel exhausted and lack the energy and motivation to do
even simple exercises. They rather go to sleep, or eat, than go physical. In due
time, the calories that are gained and not easily burned are deposited in the
body as fat.
Some people may require less hours of sleep to be in top condition during the
day; while others need more than 10 hours. But experts agree that most people
need at least eight hours of sleep each night to give themselves enough energy
to exercise, eat right and keep off those unwanted pounds. Yet, according to a
poll sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation, only 30 percent of adults get
eight or more hours of sleep on weeknights; while 52 percent do on weekends. A
third of adults reportedly sleep no more than six-and-a-half hours nightly.
In fact, disruption in the sleeping patterns in the United States and in the
industrialized world is thought as one of the main reasons that people are
getting overweight. People should start making behavioral and lifestyle changes
now for a better, healthier tomorrow.