sleep and weight loss

Research suggests sleep may be more important than you realize when it comes to your weight.

Several studies from the April issue of Sleep journal suggests that our poor sleeping habits could be an important part of our expanding waistlines. Americans are sleeping one and a half to two hours less, per night, than 40 years ago. Almost one third of Americans report sleeping less than six hours per night. Studies suggest that people who sleep only five to six hours per night gain almost twice as much weight over a six year period as people who sleep seven to eight hours per night. But don’t think that even more sleep is better – those who slept nine to ten hours gained almost as much weight as those who slept five to six hours. So, if you’re struggling to lose weight, you may want to start making some changes in the bedroom in addition to the kitchen. Try to improve sleeping habits by going to bed at about the same time every night, limiting caffeine intake after 3pm, and limiting computer time before bed (the lights from the computer can affect sleep patterns). And if nothing helps, talk to your doctor about other options.