The third essential I want to mention is...
Sleep Peacefully
Sleep is the only time your body has to repair and rejuvenate every organ and system in your body. Sleep deprivation causes cellular damage, and limits the production of enzymes and hormones you body needs tokeep your cells healthy, and prevent premature aging. Sleep also has a powerful impact on your emotional health - it eases stress and helps you cope with the ups and downs of your day.
In all my years of dieting, I had never heard of the relationship of sleep to weight loss until I joined LA Weight Loss. At that time, they told me that I needed eight hours of sleep every night in order to maximize my efforts. I was sceptical, but began to be more disciplined in that area. To my surprise, I DID lose better when I was getting enough sleep.
Later, I read an article about sleep and weight loss detailing the effects sleep (or lack of) has on certain hormone production. I wrote a post about that article which you can read here.
The surprising truth is that if you get good sleep for at least 8 hours a night you will find it easier to lose weight.
Of course, being well rested also means you can work harder, think more clearly, and handle difficult situations better as well.
As for me, I love to sleep but I find that if I make my sleeping time begin after midnight and then sleep late in the morning I do not function well. I work best if I am asleep before midnight and up before 8 a.m. I've also noticed that when I go to sleep by midnight I feel more rested on 8 hours than if I go to bed at 2 a.m. and sleep until 10 a.m. (I realize that most of you have jobs and responsibilities that demand you get up long before 10 a.m. - I`m just saying where I am at right now)
As with anything that is good for me, sometimes I let myself stay up too late- 'playing' on my computer, reading, scrapbooking, or watching movies. I can easily fall into this habit since it is what I have done most of my life BUT this is one area that I find easier to correct - probably because I hate starting my day late in the morning.
How about you? Do you give yourself a restful sleep every night?
3 comments:
I have found myself doing the same thing. Reading until 2:30 and sleeping until 10:30. I also have the flexibility to do so regularly. I want to go to bed earlier, but for some reason have not been allowing myself to. This is an interesting post and certainly something to think about. Thanks.
Karyn...I've given you the "Beautiful Blogger" award. When you have time pick up your award on my blog.
www.myhealthylivingthruweightcontrol.blogspot.com
Margie
Grandma used to say, "An hour before twelve is worth two after"...and like most Grandma's she was probably right. You tend to reinforce what she knew. She also used to say, that One hour lost takes four to replace...ie, if you only sleep for four hours instead of 8 it will take you sixteen hours sleep to recoup it. Well now, if Grandma was right about one hour before twelve, I wonder if she was also right about needing 4 to replace one lost. There's a thing to ponder!
BR.
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