Susan Smith Jones, PhD

10 Steps to Effective Weight Loss

by Susan Smith Jones, PhD ©

Part 9 of 10 in the series 10 Steps to Effective Weight Loss. CLICK HERE to start with Part 1.

Step 9: Sleep it Off!

Sleep plays a major role in glucose metabolism and neuroendocrine function. Research shows that getting a good night’s sleep is a critical part of losing weight. In a study involving 70,000 women, researchers found that women who slept 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese over the course of the 16-year study, compared to those who slept 7 or more hours a night.

Sleeping less affects changes in a person's basal metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn when you rest). In one study, researchers found that children who did not get sufficient hours of sleep were more likely than their well-rested peers to be overweight. 

It’s possible that reduced sleep means adults and kids are tired and therefore less likely to exercise. There is also some evidence that lack of sleep produces changes in levels of satiety and the hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin, according to many studies. 

Research also shows that skimping on sleep interferes with your body's ability to process carbohydrates, which can lead to elevated blood-sugar levels and an increased tendency to store calories as fat. Why does this happen? When you're sleep deprived, your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol, which seems to set this chain reaction in motion. In other words, loss of sleep can be just as bad for your health as no exercise or a poor diet.

Another possible sleep-weight link: When sleep-starved, your body craves more energy, driving you to eat more than you would otherwise. Any way you look at it, if you want to slim down your body, have more energy, feel more positive, look years younger, be more patient, live longer, abate stress, or decrease blood pressure, you must make getting more sleep at night a non-negotiable lifestyle habit. For more detailed information on sleep and my 15 commandments on sleeping like a baby — night after night after night, please check out my article Insomnia Begone!

For more information on how to stay motivated and empowered to achieve your health, fitness, weight loss, prosperity, balanced life, and successful-living goals, check out my articles Motivation Aplenty, Turning Your Dreams Into Reality - Part 1,  Turning Your Dreams Into Reality - Part 2, Cultivate Confidence & Enthusiasm, and Cultivate Determination & Perseverance.

Some excerpts were taken from Susan's Renew Your Life package and her booklet/CD combo Weight Loss: Make it Easy with Herbs. For more effective weight loss tips, you can purchase this booklet at SusansRemedies.com. Or you can get a copy FREE with any purchase of The Joy Factor, Be Healthy~Stay Balanced, Recipes for Health Bliss, Health Bliss, The Healing Power of NatureFoods, Vegetable Soup/The Fruit Bowl, or Walking on Air by calling: 1-800-523-9971 (U.S. & Canada) or 215-632-6100 (Intl.), both ET, M - F • 8:30 - 5:00.