Sleep Management Promotes Weight Loss
Diet, exercise, stress, genetics, and hormones are all understood to greatly impact weight. There is growing evidence that sleep is also a big player in determining weight gain risk. I emphasize greatly the requirement of enough sleep (generally 8-9 hours nightly) to gain the energy the body needs to help stay slim. I also emphasize the role of the adrenal glands, which are our stress hormone producers, in weight management. Adrenal support is essential to modulate how we respond emotionally to our environment. Emotional distress leads to poor eating habits, desire for caffeine and alcohol, and usually weight retention by the body. The one thing that supports the adrenal glands the most is consistent routine. This entails waking, eating, exercising, working and going to sleep at the same time every day (even on the weekends). There was a new review of literature this year that showed more evidence that following a consistent schedule is linked to better weight management. See links below.
Short sleep cycle associated with weight gain
Altering sleep schedules on different days is an independent risk factor for increasing BMI