Sleep and weight loss are inseparable companions. When you skimp on your sleep, you can't hope to lose weight in a healthy way. Sleep is an essential part of your health. If you don't sleep well or long enough, this can be one reason you can't lose weight or can't keep it off.
In our crazy, frantic world, where production rules and your earning capacity for your company is king, you may not be getting enough sleep to be healthy.
Working long hours or not having time to unwind after a busy day can be a cause of restless nights. Being anxious about how you are performing at world, or if you are facing being out of work, can lead to anxiety. Anxiety is a great sleep depriver.
As a rough estimate, most people need around eight hours of sleep a night. However, this varies with each individual. It's also more a question of the quality of the sleep, than the length of time you sleep. Taking sleeping pills, may mean you are getting some sleep, but they do not give you quality sleep. It is common to feel drugged or tired after taking them.
And it can be far more beneficial to have two shorter sleeps in a day, than one long one. The Mediterranean idea of an afternoon siesta and a shorter night sleep can be far healthier, wherever you are in the world. Sadly, the current work based world doesn't allow for this, outside the Mediterranean area.
Sleep is the time when you recharge your batteries. It is absolutely essential for your health. Sleep and weight loss are partners, just as sleep and health are.
Education facilities realise that children and adults cannot focus for more than around an hour (much less in reality) at any one time. They allow for short breaks every hour, so that the student can rest their eyes and their concentration, and go into the next session revived.
You should do the same at work if you job requirers a lot of focus and concentration, particularly looking at a computer screen. These breaks are highly beneficial. It means you don't keep piling up the work and the anxiety. Quality sleep at night is more likely to occur.
After work, many people are just as frantic to get their family and household jobs done. This means they are still running on supercharge when it comes to bedtime. It is impossible to go to sleep when you are highly charged, when you are still revving from all your activity.
Let some of the less important parts of your day fall by the wayside. The housework will still be there tomorrow.
By combining things you need to do, you can be more time efficient. For example, time with your children is important for you both. By getting them to help in the meal preparation gives you the opportunity of quality time together, teaches them an essential skill of life and gets their creative juices working.
Relaxing and unwinding before bedtime will ensure you have quality sleep. Don't partake in activities which require a lot of concentration before bedtime. It's probably better not to run a marathon at this time either.
Make sure you consider sleep and weight loss as partners in your efforts to keep your body trim and healthy.