We all know diet and exercise are the best ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but there’s another component to the secret of staying fit and it’s easier than you think: sleep. Substantial medical evidence points to a link between sleep and weight loss, proving that the right amount of shut-eye can help keep you healthy.

 

Researchers say that the quality of your sleep and how much you sleep stimulates certain hormonal activity in your body that is tied to your appetite. “Sleep loss is associated with striking alterations in hormone levels that regulate the appetite and may be a contributing factor to obesity,” says Michael Thorpy, MD, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. If you’ve ever had a sleepless night and wondered the next day why you continue to eat but not feel satiated, you’ve experienced the workings of two hormones called leptin and ghrelin.

 

Leptin and ghrelin work together to control feelings of hunger and fullness. While leptin sends a signal to the brain when you are full, ghrelin stimulates appetite, creating a controlled system.  The normal levels of these hormones are disrupted when you don’t get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation causes leptin levels to decrease, and ghrelin levels to increase. The result is a stimulated appetite but feeling less satisfied after eating. This combination can easily set the precedent for overeating and lead to weight gain if it continues. In fact, an analysis done by the Washington Post of a nationally representative sample of nearly 10,000 adults found that those between the ages of 32 and 49 who sleep less than seven hours a night are significantly more likely to be obese.

 

So how can you make sure your body is getting what it needs to be healthy? The answer is to make sleep a priority in your life. Sleep is often the first thing that gets sacrificed in the face of a busy schedule, but even an hour a night can keep you healthy and prevent weight gain. New data from the University of Michigan shows that you’ll likely eat 6 percent less if you replace 60 minutes of awake time (when you may snack) with an hour of shut-eye. 

 

Turns out snoozing is more valuable than you thought and Dreamerz can help you get that quality sleep you need. Our all natural line of sleep solutions will help you fall asleep and stay asleep so you wake up rested, refreshed, and ready for the day. The secret to great health is out, and all you have to do is get some sleep!