When I started my whole weight loss thing, meal plans, and workouts Zach told me that I had to get 8 hours of sleep each night. That was my favorite part of his plan, because I love to sleep! I told him 8 hours was no problem and I would work hard to make it happen.
Everyone says that you need enough sleep to reset your brain and whatnot. I totally agree. Think about how crappy you feel when you don't get enough sleep. I found this article today on CNN and I think it's worth the read.
Sleep deprivation spurs hunger
Here is a tiny paragraph from the article:
After sleeping for only four hours, people tend to eat more calories on the following day than when they get a good night's sleep, the study found. This was especially true of women, who consumed an average of 329 more calories when sleep deprived than when well rested. By contrast, men consumed just 263 more.
My initial thoughts after reading that were, "Holy crap!" Then of course I made note of the fact that men eat few calories...of course.
The article points out sleeping problems that can be caused by excess weight and that people who don't get enough sleep will often crave foods higher in fat. It's a good read. If you have time, you should totally click the link and check it out.
If I lack sleep, I eat more and I still feel tired. I also lack the energy to go 100% at the gyms so yes SLEEP is so important :) I think it helps clean out the system too and resets our bodies.
ReplyDeleteHmm... I never really thought about it before but that makes sense! I wonder if getting TOO MUCH sleep has the same effect? Some nights I'm known to sleep anywhere from 12-14 hours (esp. if its a migraine night) and I feel just as crappy the next day as I do when I don't sleep well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info!!!
Thanks for the info i never though about that...
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with the article. If I don't get a good nights sleep the night before the next day I do eat more and I tend to want and crave bad foods more it's my way of telling myself oh I need sugar to perk me up and keep me awake.
ReplyDeleteOooo heather has a good question if too much sleep has the same effect of too little sleep??
ReplyDeleteI wonder if too much sleep has the same effects? I sleep 10-12 hours every night, sometimes more if I don't have class.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true. And as a guy, I assure you I eat more than 263 calories when I'm tired!
ReplyDeleteAh sleep, it's imperative, it's one of my major issues at the moment, I wish I could get 8 hours, I used to be such a good sleeper!
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