Wake up Slimmer, Happier and Healthier With a Good Night's Sleep

If your life is too active and too busy, perhaps the first thing that suffers is 'a good night's sleep'.

Should this happen to you the alarm bells should start ringing. You may not just be sabotaging your next day's performance but you may be damaging your health.

According to Dr. Joyce Wasleben, PhD, who is an associate professor at NYU School of Medicine: "Sleep deprivation is a serious medical risk, but few people are aware of it."

And she goes on to say: "You have to pay as much attention to your sleep as you do to eating a nutritious diet."

Studies now confirm that there is a clear link between not getting enough sleep and obesity. In addition to other related illnessesL heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.

People who get less than 7 hours sleep per night are more likely to be obese than others who do. According to a survey of over 7,000 who enrolled on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey - sleeping less and weighing more are two of the most obvious social trends over the past century.

Eric Olson, MD, co-director of the Sleep Disorders Centre at the Mayo Clinic in rochester, MN had this to say: "The less you sleep the more likely you are to be overweight."

Experts say that with enough sleep, this trend can be reversed.

Here are some typical effects if you fear you may fall into this category:

Effect #1: You Crave For Junk Food.

You may want to stuff more calories inside you than your body needs if you are suffering from sleep deprivation. These are usually snacks that contain sugar and starches. In a survey of people who went two nights without sufficient sleep had more of the hunger-inducing hormone grehlin and less of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin.

The long term effect of this is obesity.

Effect #2: You Are Less Able To Process Glucose.

Everyone needs to produce glucose for your body to function. Tests showed that after six days of sleep deprivation people developed a resistance to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that helps move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. And in another study people who slept less than 6 hours per night couldn't metabolize sugar properly. Thus giving risk to type 2 diabetes.

Effect #3: Your Immune System Weakens.

It has been found that people who slept insuffiently for 10 days had high levels of c-reactive protein, which has been linked to heart disease. After receiving flu injections it was found that they had only half as many disease-fighting antibodies comparde with those who were rested.

Effect #4: Lack of Sleep Affects Your Sharpness and Mood.

For those that get restless nights their reaction time is decreased which makes tasks such as driving dangerous. Those people that suffer from chronic sleep loss are also less happy. Sleep and modd are regulated by the same brain chemicals.

Here are three tips to get more sleep:

Tip #1: Wear socks. The instant warm-up widens blood vessels in your feet allowing your body to transfer heat to these parts which has an overall effect of cooling your body - which induces sleep. Wearing an old-fashioned night cap would have the same effect.

Tip #2: Keep to a daily routine. People who stick to a regular routine - going to bed at a set time, getting up at a set time, set working hours, and set meal times, have fewer sleep problems than those who lead a more erratic lifestyle. Set times synchronize your body rythms and sleep/wake cycles.

Tip #3: Any light signals the brain to wake up. Typical are those lights from your cell phones or digital alarm clock. For better sleep, turn clocks around and get rid of other niggling 'blue lights'.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------Phil Whiting is the editor of 'Natural Insomnia Solution' and offers a FREE chapter download at his website http://www.NaturalInsomniaSolution.com along with FREE tips on getting a good night's sleep. His package of resources is a tested and proven method for curing your insomnia without the need for pills or potions.
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