Sleep is my number one, super charging, taking care of myself habit that, to be honest, is just not something I'm willing to do without.

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​Especially now that I know how Sleep and Weight Loss are connected.

You and I know that you feel and look better when you’re well rested. What you might not know is that sleep and weight loss are connected. Do you want to know how getting enough sleep impacts your body's ability to loose weight on a chemical and hormonal level?  Strap on your science geek hat and get ready to learn how to get and keep that sexy body and playful perspective through the magic of a good night’s sleep. 

Sleep and Weight Loss:  

There are a number of major studies that show the connection between sleeping and appetite. And much like everything else in your body, both sleep and appetite are controlled by your hormones. Specifically, it’s all about the balance and timing of leptin and ghrelin into your bloodstream .

​How Hormones influence sleep and weight loss:

​Ghrelin is the hormone that’s produced in the stomach and released when you are hungry. It increases your appetite and tells your brain you need to eat. Leptin is produced in your fat cells and when released, tells your brain that you’re full. At which point your appetite decreases and your satiation, or fullness increases.

Stanford scientists studied 1000 volunteers to learn how these two hormones work to connect sleep and weight loss.  By comparing the amount of hours volunteers reported sleeping with their ghrelin, leptin, and body fat percentage levels the connection of sleep and weight loss became clear. The data showed that in people that slept less than 8 hours a night, their hormones were unbalanced. In fact, the less than 8 hours a night group had increased levels of ghrelin (which makes you hungry), decreased levels of leptin (which gives the fullness), and higher body fat percentages than the people that slept 8 hours or more. Now you know why they call it beauty sleep.  

Make the sleep and weight loss hormones work for you: 

​So, the next time you can’t fall asleep easily or stay asleep, try these helpful and simple bedtime rituals to get you drowsy and ready to catch some Zzzz’s:

• Avoid heavy foods before bed.

• Adopt a regular sleep schedule and stick to it

• Darken your bedroom as much as possible.

• Turn off the technology, including your e-reader.

• Warm milk, chamomile, valerian or kava tea or a simple cup of broth with a teaspoon of coconut oil or ghee

• A natural sleep supplement like melatonin can help ease you into sleep. 

Nite Nite,

T

FYI::  If you like the featured image on this post, visit my Nudescapes gallery on the SexybyT.com site.