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Why we eat too much and how to get control - Part 1
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A recent article on CNN's Health page tries to address why people eat too much and what to do about it....but are they right? Over the next few articles, each of their problems and solutions are going to be examined.
Today, sleep:
"You're not getting enough sleep: Missing out on your zzz's not only puts you in a mental fog, it also triggers a constellation of actual metabolic changes that may lead to weight gain."
Repeated research indicates that those that are sleep deprived are, on average, more likely to be overweight than those that get 7+ hours of sleep each night. While research indicates there are chemical changes in the body that lead to weight gain, there are also other factors that usually aren't mentioned.
Many people when sleep deprived, especially chronically, are less active. Less active means you cannot tolerate as many calories. True it's a slight difference, but add to that the increased appetite and decreased satiety caused by these chemical changes and that slight difference can add up, especially over several years.
What to do? Follow the age old advice for getting a good night's sleep:
- Watch your caffeine intake, especially if you are sensitive to it.
- If able make your room as dark and quite as possible as this contributes to meletonin which is a natural sleep aid. Don't leave the TV or radio on....if night sounds (traffic, etc) are a concern, consider buying a "white noise" machine, which usually effectively cancels out these distractions.
- When you go to bed, go there for sleep. Don't bring work to bed with you, don't write out your "to do list" for the next day! Do that in advance, out of the bedroom!
- Don't read until you fall asleep, or at least don't leave the light on all night! If you are in the habit of reading at bedtime and don't want to break this habit, at least keep the reading light and put the book away and shut off the light when you're ready to sleep.....or, even better, read for a while before you go to bed!
- Address problems that may contribute to sleeplessness or waking in the night, for example, reflux, or GERD. Following a low carb diet has been shown repeatedly to be a great and natural treatment for reflux, even without weight loss! If you are concerned about sleep apnea, contact your doctor about getting a sleep study done. If you have allergies or breathing problems, talk to your doc about medications that won't interfere with sleep....and remove as many allergens as possible, at least from your room!
- Make your bed as comfortable as possible! Since you should be spending about 1/3 of your life on it, try to make sure you have a good quality comfortable mattress! If purchasing a new one, lie down on it in the store! Roll over, lie in your favorite sleep position and check it out! Don't worry, the sales people are used to this (and should encourage it!), and this is an expensive item that you can't afford to make a wrong choice on! Also check store policy as many stores now allow you to home test the mattress for 30, 60 and even 90 days!! If you sleep with a partner and have differing ideas on firmness, consider an air or water mattress that will allow you to each set your own firmness!
- If possible, buy good quality and attractive linens! Bad, pilly sheets, ratty blankets, etc are not conducive to a comfortable night's sleep! Consider also buying a top (flat) sheet one side larger than your bed...so buy a queen for a double, a king for a queen, etc. This allows for extra linens on the sides so there's a little less of a chance of waking up and finding no sheet or blanket to cover yourself!
- Get comfortable pillows! Nice thing about pillows is that if you and your partner don't agree, you just have to buy different ones! Don't worry if they don't match! If a different pillow (or 2 or 3) allows you to get the sleep you need, who cares! And, of course, you can always have one set for display or the made bed and another for sleeping on! Pillows are often on sale, and mostly don't cost too much, so shop around and find what works best!
- Lastly, and most important, try to relax and get comfy. Concentrate on relaxing your body, each part of it, and breathe slowly and regularly, like you do when asleep! There are many relaxation techniques and they can be found easily on the web and in books. One of the more effective ones is to lie comfortable and tighten then relax each muscle group, starting at the toes and working up to your head. Try to keep your mind from wandering, and try to not think about all the things you have to do, should be doing, work pressures, etc!
Next up: Stress!
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