Sleep Loss Causes Weight Gain

Researchers in the field of sleep have discovered that middle aged women who sleep less than five hours a night are more prone to weight gain and obesity than women who sleep seven or more hours a night. We have all had problems sleeping at one time or another but if you are depriving yourself of precious sleep every night, you are risking your health.

Doctors do not know for certain exactly why sleep deprivation causes weight gain. One theory was that lack of sleep upsets hormone levels, but that turned out to be untrue. Another possible cause is that the basal metabolic rate or metabolism slows down the longer you go without proper sleep, although that is yet to be proven definitively.

Some believe it may boil down to two simple reasons:

1. People who don’t sleep well feel they are too tired to exercise adequately.

2. When people are awake at odd hours they tend to eat carbohydrates and empty-calorie foods.

In spite of trying many of the proven methods of falling asleep, many women still fall short of those seven hours. Women give all kinds of reasons for not getting enough sleep. Stress and anxiety are two of the biggest reasons they say they can’t fall asleep or stay asleep. Stress is also directly related to weight gain so it makes sense that weight gain is related to stress and lack of sleep.

If you are having trouble sleeping, don’t let it go on for weeks or months. Finding a solution can be a challenge. Asking your doctor about it is the first step. However, once he has eliminated any physical reasons for it, he or she will probably prescribe a pharmaceutical sleep aid. While that may work temporarily there are many reasons to avoid drugs if possible. Fortunately, there are other options.

One of the best solutions is hypnosis. Research in this area has shown it to be extremely effective for relaxation and stress relief. It is inexpensive and simple to do and completely free of negative side effects. More and more women are successfully using hypnosis for many issues including smoking, weight loss, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, as well as stress and sleep issues.

They say nothing else has been as effective as the hypnotic trance that leaves them feeling relaxed and calm. Nights of deep, peaceful sleep can be yours just by listening to a hypnotic induction as you fall asleep. Better sleep means better health. What have you got to lose, another nights’ sleep?

For “A Good Night’s SLEEP,” click HERE. (and then scroll down to the Sleep CD)