Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The "Dream Diet": How to Lose Weight through Sleep

Yes, it sounds too good to be true, but sleep can really help you lose weight. But what scientists have found is not really a "diet" per se, but rather new insight into the relationship between sleep and weight. In a nutshell, it has been found that the amount of sleep you get and the quality of that sleep can affect hormones in your body that have been found to impact appetite.

A number of studies have shown that lack of sleep can affect the levels of two appetite-related hormones, leptin and ghrelin. The studies have revealed that people who sleep less weigh more. The article noted above also examines another sleep-weight interaction, the relationship between weight and sleep apnea.

Of course, today's horrible economic times don't exactly encourage restfulness and a good night's sleep, but with the many real benefits of getting enough sleep, it's definitely a worthwhile thing to put at the top of even the longest to-do list.

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