A 2013 research has shown that sleeping for less than seven hours a day consecutively for a week, and having unlimited access to food caused surveyed participants to gain over two pounds! Researchers have come to the conclusion that although you burn more calories when you are awake, but the amount of calories consumed when you are awake is much more than the amount of calories burnt passively by your body. In other words, insufficient sleep can result in people eating more than needed.
This same research has also found that those who slept for about only five hours each night for two consecutive nights showed a significant increase in their appetite, and started to crave for high fat and carbohydrate content foods. This is because sleep deprivation results in an increase in the amount of hunger hormone within your body, resulting in increased appetite for junk foods. Therefore, getting sufficient sleep is not only important for health, but also for weight loss purposes.
Serotonin is a hormone within your brain which acts as a messenger, transmitting nerve signals between nerve cells. Increasing the level of serotonin will result in better sleep. Here are some natural ways to increase that level.
First of all, going out more often into the sun and exposing yourself to sunlight in the late afternoon can help you feel more refreshed and energized during the day, and fall asleep easier at night!
Secondly, smiling also increases the level of serotonin within your body system. Be more positive and smile more often!
Exercising also increases serotonin levels. On top of that, exercising will increase the amount of endorphin hormones, which is otherwise known as the 'feel-good' hormone. Short but regular workout sessions will significantly improve your sleep as well as your body.
The following are some additional tips to get a good night's sleep.
Taking a warm bath before your bedtime is a good idea if you always find sleeping difficult. Try getting into bed about the same time each night. If you find falling asleep very difficult or suffer from insomnia, you can try reading a book until you feel very drowsy.
Although to achieve successful weight loss requires much more than just getting sufficient sleep, getting a good night's sleep and enough sleep hours can help. Make use of the above tips to help alleviate yourself of your current sleeping problems as well as feel more refreshed each morning!
If you like such articles, you may want to also check out Alvin's video on how to lose belly fat for women fast.
Also do catch his the Muscle Maximizer review.