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Sleep - Are You Getting Enough?
Author: Kirsten Hawkins
Not getting enough sleep, getting low quality sleep, or even getting to much sleep is bad for you.
Studies have shown that if you don’t sleep more than 4 hours the levels of an appetite increasing hormone went up 28%, while at the same time, an appetite suppressing hormone fell by 18% compared with what the levels where when sleeping for 8 hours.
During this test the participants (12 young men) said their craving for high carb/calorie food increased.
If you don’t have any problems with your weight, this may not matter much, but if you are trying to lose weight, or struggle to keep the weight where you want it, make sure you get enough sleep.
Other studies have found that sleeping more than 7 hours each night was associated with a shorter lifespan. Others again have found that sleeping less than 7 hours would lead to a shorter lifespan. The experts however are reluctant to draw any conclusions based on these findings, because people who sleep less than 7 hours or more than 8 hours each night could have illnesses that cause the shortened lifespan.
So who should you believe? One way to go would be to take the middle road, aim for 7.5 hours of sleep each night.
A few tips to help you sleep better, and feel more rested.
* Go to bed at the same time every night, and get up at the same time every morning, even on weekends.
* If you wake up by yourself, before the alarm goes off and it’s not too long before you should get up anyway (45 minutes or less), there is a better chance you will have more energy that day if you get up then, than if you go back to sleep until the alarm rings.
* Avoid is using the snooze button on your alarm clock, the quality of the sleep you get between each time the alarm goes of is very low. Your energy level throughout the day will probably be much better if you get up the first time it goes off.
* Right after getting up in the morning, try getting as much sunlight as possible, and do some activities that will increase your body temperature. If you workout, this would be a good time to do your cardio, or maybe do some housecleaning. Just try it, you will be amazed how much faster you will feel awake and energized.
That’s it for now. Good night and sleep well.
About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a weightlifting and fitness enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.weight-loss-diet-exercise.com/ for more great tips on how to lose weight, eat well, and be healthy.