Words: Raul Brady For: TMM
Founder & CEO, Godatu- The Social Network of Dance
People often ask me that though they are working out regularly and are following a strict diet plan, why they are not able to get their desired goals?
My first answer to them is a question, “Are you getting enough sleep?”…Sufficient sleep is mandatory to lead a healthy life, and more to get the desired weight.
There’s a clear cut connection between getting enough sleep and successfully losing weight. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends that adults should stick to 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but a 2016 study shows that more than one-third of adults aren’t getting anything close to that. Chronic sleep deprivation is common, and there are chances that it could be ruining your weight loss efforts.
Sleep-deprived people are more likely to overeat. Lack of sleep affects hormones that regulate appetite and satiety, which may lead to overeating. Lack of sleep affects the hormone called Ghrelin and Leptin, that stimulates your appetite and helps you believe that you’re full.
Off late, if you have been dying to eat a burger or that pepperoni pizza at midnight, it is obvious that lack of sleep is hitting you badly and can make you crave for more unhealthy foods.
Successful weight loss is all about making healthy food choices, and your sleep habits can affect that process explicitly. Sleeping on time helps regulate a part of your brain involved in governing your food choices, and less sleep affects your frontal lobe and alters your brain state, making high-calorie junk foods more appealing.Whenever you pick something off the shelf, read the label to make wise choices, include foods which are high in fibre and nutrients over those with added sugars or high sodium levels. Sleep-deprived people can often struggle with self-control.
For most people, routine and commitment are an important part of weight loss. This basically means that when you’ve not rested enough, you might be more likely to ditch your workout, eat junk food or make decisions that aren’t good for your body. Scientific studies show that lack of sleep can affect your athletic performance by tanking your endurance. The easy way out is to evaluate your sleeping habits and feel the change. This is how Raul Brady reap the benefits of proper sleep routine in his day to day life.
Here are a few practices that I make sure I adhere to and you may try too:
1. Get up at the same time each day, so your body can get into a routine.
2. Don’t get into bed until you’re ready to doze off. Don’t just ‘hang out’ in your bed.
3. Stay away from your mobile phone and computer at least an hour before you go to bed.
4. Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime.
5. Don’t work out too close to your bedtime.
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