In an effort to lose weight, we try to eat less. But it turns out that you need to sleep more.
Diet and composition of the diet are very important for gaining a graceful figure. But, as it turned out, sleep plays an equally important role in the process of losing weight. Doctor of Medical Sciences Mikhail Ginzburg told about how much sleep and what kind of sleep is the most effective in the program “On the most important thing.”
“Proper and healthy sleep is a prerequisite for weight loss,” says Dr. Ginsburg. – Adequate sleep is not only the main condition for losing weight, it is necessary to maintain a normal weight in the future.
The average sleep figure has long been known – it is 7-8 hours a day, adjusted for the individuality of each person. For some, six hours is enough, and for others, all eight.
But no matter how many hours you sleep, sleep must be at night. It is at night in a dream that many important processes take place in the body. The fact is that only during a night’s sleep the hormone melatonin is produced. When we do not sleep in complete darkness, not enough melatonin is produced (light limits its production), which means that the process of breaking down fat slows down. And the stimulation of fat breakdown is one of the main effects of melatonin. Moreover, it contributes not only to weight loss, but also increases life expectancy. Melatonin is called the hormone of “eternal life” for a reason.
When you don’t sleep enough, another hormone, cortisol, is released, which promotes fat storage. In addition, with insufficient sleep, the brain tries to compensate for the lack of energy, which leads to increased appetite and, as a result, to overeating.
The most common cause of poor sleep is eating a large meal at night. Often, wanting to lose weight, we refuse to eat after 18.00. And this malnutrition after six in the evening translates into overeating after ten. If you are hungry and it bothers you, have a light snack an hour and a half before bedtime. But it should be food that does not stay in the stomach for a long time: for example, a slice of rye bread and a glass of fermented baked milk or a glass of kefir and cereals. That is, the food that is quickly digested leaves the stomach, and it will not press on the diaphragm.
The second enemy of normal healthy sleep is too high a room temperature. It is difficult for a person in the heat to fall asleep, and even more so to sleep well. Therefore, the temperature in the bedroom should not exceed 22-24 degrees. In addition, the body should not be constrained at night. You should be spacious and comfortable in your pajamas. The best option is to sleep naked under a blanket. It is also better to choose bed linen from natural fabrics – cotton, linen, silk: they are good for air permeability.
Now we live surrounded by light and sound sources: street lamps, advertising signs, mobile phones are lying next to the bed, other gadgets are working, etc. This is a real disaster. During the day, anxiety accumulates, and in order to relieve it, we stick to the TV screen, computer monitor, etc. Meanwhile, there are simpler and useful things that will provide easy falling asleep and comfortable sleep: an easy walk in the evening, fresh air , bath or shower, complete darkness in the bedroom. Lavender and jasmine essential oils can help you fall asleep.
It is quite obvious that it is unrealistic to achieve harmony without good sleep. Sleep is an extremely important stage in life, and there is no need to interfere with it. If a person does not get enough sleep, it is useless to lose weight with the help of diets.