As I write this, I am bleary-eyed. I definitely didn’t get enough sleep last night, and here I am writing about getting enough sleep! With that said, today’s demands on working families in this day and age of technology, only 60% of us are getting more than 8 hours of sleep. The other 40% who get less than seven hours of sleep tend to gain more weight over time, find it difficult to shed the weight and are, in general, less healthy.
In my house, lights out at 10 pm doesn’t always work (my husband is a night owl!) but getting myself into bed by 10 pm and winding down seems to be a more attainable goal-most nights (last night wasn’t one of them!)
Overall, sleep is one of the most potent habits you have to improve your health and lose unhealthy fat, faster. For those of you who need a little more inspiration for getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, see below for some real encouragement!
In my house, lights out at 10 pm doesn’t always work (my husband is a night owl!) but getting myself into bed by 10 pm and winding down seems to be a more attainable goal-most nights (last night wasn’t one of them!)
Overall, sleep is one of the most potent habits you have to improve your health and lose unhealthy fat, faster. For those of you who need a little more inspiration for getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, see below for some real encouragement!
- People who don’t get enough sleep are up later. If you go to bed at 10 pm you do not have the opportunity to engage in late night snacking (the worst!) Generally after 11 pm late night snackers can consume an additional 500 calories
- Getting the right amount of sleep helps you burn more calories especially after workouts
- Because lack of sleep contributes to bad health decisions, you are more likely to choose unhealthy foods while grocery shopping
- People who get enough sleep are more focused
- Sleep deprived people simply eat more