Getting your Zzzzs can help keep your waistline from growing

Getting more sleep is something that is a work in progress for me, I find it difficult to get to bed before 11pm, but am working on it!  There are MANY different reasons why we all should be trying to hit the hay early enough to give us 8 hours of uninterrupted Zzzzs.  The average American adult does not achieve even 7 hours of sleep per night.

Some food for thought:

• Getting eight hours of sleep at night helps you lower the cortisol levels in your blood, while lack of sleep raises your cortisol levels. Higher levels of cortisol lead to a lower metabolism. Breaking protein down into glucose is stimulated by cortisol. If you have too much glucose in your body, it will get stored as fat. On top of this, cortisol interferes with your body’s ability to build muscle mass.

• Increases in leptin (an appetite suppressor) and decreases in grehlin (appetite stimulant) occur in sleep.

• Growth hormone is released during deep sleep and is important in the repair of cells and tissues.

Regular exercise is a way to help achieve a good night’s sleep.  Vigorous exercisers tend to have the best sleep and fewer sleep problems. Even if your mind is racing with to-do lists, a physically tired out body will put you right to sleep.

So, DVR some of those favorite TV shows and give yourself the benefit of getting your 8 hours of sleep each night, your body and brain will thank you!