Lose Weight While You Sleep

1
Copyright 2009 Terry Shintani, MD, JD, MPH, KSJ

• Lose Weight While You Sleep

2
You Can Do to Help Your Body Burn More Calories
While at Rest
Webhealthforyou.com
3

• Look around you on your morning commute. Do
  you notice how many people are trying to catch a
  little extra sleep? (Hopefully youre commuting
  by train or bus, rather than car when you see
  this). Many of us choose to make do with fewer
  sleeping hours because we want to be more
  productive.

Webhealthforyou.com
4

• Do you think of sleep as a waste of your
  valuable time? Well consider this a good
  nights sleep (8 hours for most people) may
  actually save you time ALL DAY LONG! When your
  mind and body get the rest they need, you have
  more energy and can think more clearly than when
  you are tired. By the same token, your body is
  more productive, tooespecially when it comes to
  metabolizing your food.

Webhealthforyou.com
5

• When your body has had a chance to refresh,
  renew, and repair itself over night, all the
  processes that contribute to healthy weight are
  able to function better. Keep in mind that the
  choice to get a good nights sleep each night is
  just as important as the choices you make in
  eating and exercising to achieve your weight loss
  goals.

Webhealthforyou.com
6
Warning!

• Dont turn into a hibernating bear. Too much
  sleep can be just as unhealthy as too little
  sleep and can be a symptom of depression or
  another underlying problem. You also should
  avoid oversleeping to make up for a poor nights
  sleep. Doing that for even a couple of days can
  reset your body clock and interrupt the sleep
  habit youre trying to establish.

Webhealthforyou.com
7
Youre Getting To Be A Habit With Me

• Establishing good sleeping habits is the key
  to getting a good nights sleep. Believe it or
  not, you can actually train yourself to fall
  asleep quickly every night, or you can get into
  the bad habit of lying in bed for a long time,
  tossing and turning and worrying.

Webhealthforyou.com
8

• Some people have chronic sleep problems.
  Others (and Im one of them) just sometimes have
  trouble falling asleep because theyre worried or
  stressed out. How about you?
• Do you have trouble falling asleep?
• Do you fall asleep easily, then wake up 5 hours
  later and can't fall back asleep?
• Do you wake up several times during the night and
  have trouble staying asleep?

Webhealthforyou.com
9

• All of these disruptions affect your weight loss
  abilities. Fortunately, there are many things
  you can do to take back the night and get the
  sleep you need.
• First, do your best to keep a regular schedule.
  As much as possible, go to bed and wake up at the
  same time everyday, even on the weekends. As you
  make this a habit, your body will start to expect
  sleep at the same time each day and automatically
  get into sleepy mode when the time is right.
• Now that youve woken up to the importance of a
  good nights sleep, youll want to do everything
  you can to ensure that you get your sleep RDA
  with the following

Webhealthforyou.com
10
9 Simple Things You Can Do To Get A Good Nights
Sleep

• Do not nap during the day. Napping during the day
  will throw off your body clock and make it even
  more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel as
  if you absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep for
  less than 30 minutes, early in the day.
• Don't smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make
  it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Webhealthforyou.com
11

• Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon
  after awakening. This will help to regulate your
  body's natural biological clock. Likewise, try to
  keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so
  that the light will not interfere with your rest.
  
• Exercise early in the day. 20-30 minutes of
  exercise every day can help you sleep, but be
  sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon.
  Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity
  before bedtime may make falling asleep more
  difficult.

Webhealthforyou.com
12

• Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft
  music, sipping a cup of herbal tea, etc., cues
  your body that it's time to slow down and begin
  to prepare for sleep. Relax for a while before
  going to bed. Spending quiet time can make
  falling asleep easier. This may include
  meditation, relaxation and/or breathing
  exercises, or taking a warm bath.

Webhealthforyou.com
13

• Try listening to recorded relaxation or guided
  imagery programs. If youre worried about
  something, you mind will want to stay active
  until the problem is solved. Recordings can help
  move you out of stress and into the zone where
  you need to be for sleep.
• Write down your worries and possible solutions
  before you go to bed, so you don't need to
  ruminate in the middle of the night. A journal or
  "to do" list may be very helpful in letting you
  put away these concerns until the next day when
  you are fresh.

Webhealthforyou.com
14

• Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel
  tired, go to bed. If youre in love with
  latenight television, record your favorite shows
  to watch at a more reasonable hour.
• Avoid OTC (over-the-counter) sleep aids, and make
  sure that your prescribed medications do not
  cause insomnia. People who rely too heavily on
  sleep medications find that they suffer a rebound
  effect and begin to have trouble sleeping.

Webhealthforyou.com
15
Need more info?

• Go to
• www.webhealthforyou.com

Webhealthforyou.com