Is Your Sleep Stalling Your Diet Dreams?

Many of us lead incredibly hectic and busy lives.  We rush from work to kids' activities, grab a quick bite to eat, then go right back to work after the kids are down for the night, working until the early hours of the next day.  For many, getting only four or five hours of sleep per night is the norm.  One thing I work on with my clients is developing a sleep routine to help extend the amount and quality of sleep that they get because believe it or not, lack of sleep is one of the biggest things preventing many people from achieving weight loss.  In fact, with all other conditions being equal, if you get less than seven hours of sleep per night, you are likely to lose only half as much weight as someone who gets more than seven hours.

Why is that, you might ask?  Well, a lack of sleep disrupts our delicate hormone balance.  This in turn affects our body's ability to process and utilize nutrients, in particular fatty acids, promotes the production of the hormones that regulate our appetite and hunger cues.  It also decreases our ability to make good decisions surrounding food, so you are more likely to give in to cravings and make less nutritious food choices.

How do you counteract a lack of sleep?  Well, there are three things that I work on with my clients.  First, we establish a sleep ritual that allows them to be in the best position possible to make every second of sleep that they get restful and productive.  What that ritual looks like differs from person to person, but it usually involves getting away from screens and work and doing something relaxing for at least half an hour before bedtime.  Second, we work on getting a little bit better each week.  If a client starts out going to bed most nights at 1:00 am and gets four hours of sleep, we push that back by fifteen minutes a week until they are getting five hours, then six hours.  Third, we try to find improved efficiencies throughout their day so that they have more time for themselves and less need to be burning the candle at both ends.  Once these strategies are in place, clients tend to have a much better quality of life as well as weight loss success.

Are you struggling with sleep?  If so, we're happy to help.