Get Your Sleep!
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| Sun, 01-30-2005 - 9:26am |
Got this in a Denise Austin email-
Can sleeping more lead to weighing less? If you're sleep deprived it may, says a new study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers analyzed the sleeping habits of 1,001 participants to see if there was a correlation between the amount of sleep people got and how much they weighed. Sure enough, those whose weight was closest to their healthy ideal slept more — two hours more per week on average — than those who were overweight.
Too much sleep, on the other hand, seemed to actually have the opposite effect! Those who were morbidly obese reported sleeping the most. While researchers don't understand the connection yet, they speculate that sleep cycles are closely tied to hormonal levels that, when disrupted, increase appetite. Previous studies found a similar connection between sleep and weight in children, the experts add.
So, while getting seven to eight hours of good sleep every night alone probably won't solve your weight problems, an overall healthy lifestyle — including good food, regular exercise, and sufficient rest — can lead to better health. So, go ahead — tuck in a bit earlier! And sweet dreams!
