Friday, December 28, 2012

Sleeping Too Little?

Sleep deprivation makes you tired and cranky and less able to think clearly.

Sleeping too little promotes weight gain. Not getting a good night's sleep can lead people to pack on pounds over time. Lack of good sleep when it comes to both quality and quantity are the driving forces behind the negative health and body weight effects.
More than 28 per cent of Americans sleep fewer than six hours a night. Work-related stress, shift-work, prolonged light, and television or computer exposure are the most frequent lifestyle factors that contribute towards sleep deprivation.

What can you do?
In her book Take a Nap! Change Your Life, Sara Mednick, Ph.D., points out that 20 to 30-minute naps can be used during the week to recharge yourself mentally, and 90-minute naps should be used on your off days to help minimize your sleep debt. By taking 90 minutes to doze, you will go through all the stages of sleep, and some research shows that the benefits of this length nap are equivalent to that of getting eight hours of sleep during the night.

Read more:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/15/sleep-deprivation-fat-cells/1630289/

 

10 comments:

  1. Getting a good night's rest is of the utmost importance. Most people in the United States, seem to have a odd relationship with sleep. Instead of giving it the priority and space that it rightfully deserves in our lives, we relegate it to whenever we can find the time.

    It's frequent for Americans to have to make up for sleep. This is especially sad because most of the stress-related and health-related problems for ourselves prevalent in the United States can be directly attributed to a profound lack of sleep.

    Taking naps over the course of the day is a great way to make up for this problem. So I agreed 100% about taking naps more regularly and more frequently.

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  2. I wonder if the length of sleep is different for different people. Like some people need more and some need less. Just like the way we eat, athletes need more food than a person who work while sitting on her desk all day.

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  3. I'm not sure the picture is related to this blog looking at that yawn I would say she's really lost her energy, has she been working out hard?

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  4. I see direct logical connection between how much you sleep and how much you eat. The less we sleep, the more we eat , thus put on weight. I do agree with your blog.

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  5. Well said!After I pull an all nighter, I get terrible cravings for sugary and fat laden foods. I wonder though– shouldn't all those extra hours you spend awake burning calories sort of equalize the extra calories consumed the next day? Perhaps that’s just wishful thinking on my part.

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  6. A lack of sleep contributes to obesity and it can add to stress, depression, irritability, and serious health conditions, such as an increased risk of heart disease. Sleep in a cool, dark bedroom and stick to a regular sleep schedule that allows you enough time for eight hours of sleep. Many people only allot for six hours of sleep, which often isn’t enough. Cut off TV and computer time well before bedtime to give your brain plenty of time to calm down and to limit the exposure of light to your eyes before trying to sleep.

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  7. Sleep deprivation is directly related to weight gain. As we sleep less, the hormonal balance goes for a toss. The balance of Ghrelin and Leptin is disrupted which results in food cravings and weight gain. Sleeping for at least 7 hours every night is a priority.

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  8. It is alarming that increasing number of people are sleep deprived. This is related to our unhealthy lifestyle and increased work pressure. Working late, partying at night and alcohol addiction lead to sleep deprivation which causes weight gain. We should make changes in our lifestyle and ensure that we get adequate sleep.

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  9. I agree with you. You have to get sleep 6 hours at least. If you sleep too much it also a problem to you.

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  10. I can relate this. But there is so much to do tonight.

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