Boosting Your Metabolism - Part 13 - Zzzzzzzz…..Zzzzzzzz

Sleep, a part of everyday life most would agree, and one most of us would equally like to have a little more of. But in the real world, this is a tough one, because most of us don’t have as much control as we should over the amount that we sleep. Work, education, family, housekeeping, and so many other commitments can literally prevent us from getting the amount of sleep that we would like, and more importantly, need.

Perhaps its nothing new for you to learn that for our ‘health’ we should all be getting 7-8 hours sleep a day – after all, doctors have been telling us that for years, but what exactly do they mean by ‘health’?

Most of us understand ‘health’ as a general term to describe a persons mental or physical condition, but our mental and physical condition is actually determined by a number of processes and functions going on within our bodies, some of which we are aware of, and some we are not.

Many women wrongly assume the only price to pay for burning the candle at both ends, is waking up to see a pair of red eyes and a few more wrinkles in the mirror, but there’s another price to pay as well – at the waistline!

So how can the amount you sleep affect your waistline?

Simple, one of those processes is our metabolism, and experts now tell us that not getting enough sleep actually lowers metabolism, because people who are constantly sleep deprived typically find that they have less energy to do regular daily activities; including digestion.

As a result, sleep-starved people often unwittingly lower their metabolism, because their bodies simply don’t have the strength to break down food efficiently, particularly carbohydrates.

The trouble is sleep, and for that matter exercise if you are willing to do it, may both raise metabolism but that doesn’t remove the catch 22 problem of finding enough hours in your day to do them both.

For example, after a long day of work and dealing with family and home commitments, you may find that the only time you have to exercise is late at night; say around 9:00 pm, or even later. That being said, if you constantly steal time away from your sleep/rest in order to exercise, you can actually do more harm than good, because the following day you won’t have enough energy to digest what you eat.
So what’s the answer, because clearly you’re not going to get fit by sleeping instead of exercising.

Ultimately, it’s a question of balance. You don’t have to work out every night - perhaps you can integrate a workout into your life during the day; maybe at lunchtime or right after work.

Most fitness clubs are open very early (some are even 24 hours a day), and if you choose to workout at home, you can do so in a generally affordable way.

If you find that you have trouble sleeping, then this can also negatively affect the speed of your metabolism. Insomnia and other sleep disorders are very common problems, for which there exists a variety of support systems to help you get the rest that you require – to see one of the best I’ve come across, Click Here and discover how you can easily take control of your life and ‘sleep like a baby’, but in the meantime, some non-medical tips to help you fall asleep include:

o Try drinking warm milk before bedtime

o Try yoga or other stress-relieving practices

o Try having a warm bath before bedtime

o Don’t eat late at night

o Don’t exercise close to bedtime; your body can become   so energized that you won't sleep! 

  

Of course no-one but you can find the right balance in your life, but if you thought the trade-off for missing a few hours sleep was a few eye drops and a little extra make-up the next morning, now you know better!

See you next time in ‘Relax …. Your Waistline Depends On It’


Best wishes


Sandra