How a regular sleep schedule helps you shed kilos

The modern life is a busy one. There’s never quite enough hours in the day to get everything done. When you have to juggle the pressures of work, family and other responsibilities, it’s hard to make time for yourself to relax and do the things you like doing. When there are so many demands on your time, something’s gotta give. And, far too often, what you sacrifice is your sleep. However, did you know that an irregular sleep schedule could be having a significant negative impact on your crusade towards losing weight and being more healthy? A regular sleep schedule is a great tip to lose weight in a healthy way! Here’s what you need to know.

It’s easier to make bad decisions.

Lack of sleep leaves your brain dull and incapable of performing at its customary level. What does that mean? It means that you’re not going to make the best decisions. Stop me if any of these sound familiar:

• “Sure, I can get through this presentation without any trouble, all I need is a quick coffee beforehand and I’ll be fine.”
• “I stayed up late last night working my butt off, I deserve some chocolate to get through the day.”
• “Oh no, I’m way too tired to go to the gym. I’ll make up for it another day.”

Not only do you feel slow-witted, but your brain’s in search of something to rev you up and make you feel good – meaning that sleep-deprived you is far less likely to resist offers of a second helping of dessert or a couple of beers more. You’re likely to indulge yourself at every possible opportunity, and that’s not good if you’re looking to lose weight.

You’re not giving your body the rest it needs.

Your body burns calories even when you’re not working out – that is, if it’s well-rested. Studies have found that people with better sleep schedules burned more calories while sleeping than those with irregular sleep schedules. It gets worse, though – when well-rested people lose weight, a greater percentage of that weight is fat as compared to the weight that tired people manage to lose. This really brings the point home that a healthy sleep schedule is just as important as dieting or exercising to your goal of losing weight.

Late-night snacking is not your friend.

If you’re up late at night, for whatever reason, you’re extremely likely to go looking for a pick-me-up to tide you over until you can get to bed. Now, you probably already know that that’s not good for you – but you’re not likely to be making good decisions when you’re sleepy, remember? Over time, those stolen snacks really do add up – a study showed that people who stayed up late gained significantly more weight than people who got a full night’s sleep.

So there you have it – those are the major reasons why you should be making a regular sleep schedule your highest priority. Get a full night’s sleep, and you’ll be well on your way to a slimmer you!