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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Get to Sleep!


Get to sleep my friends!


Lack of exercise and a high fat diet are not the only thing that hinders the heart! Now, more and more studies are telling us that lack of sleep can expand your waist line, increasing your risk of chronic disease. How? I'm glad you asked!
A bad nights rest not only affects your mood and alertness but it can also cause a hormone imbalance that may have you taking more frequent trips to the cookie jar!
Some Simple Science you ya...
Two hormones controlled by the brain control your appetite: grehlin and leptin; which are inversely related to each other. Grehlin tells you you are hungry and leptin tells you when you are full, to put it simply. As your sleeping cycle gets out of wack so do these hormones. Grehlin increases while leptin decreases. Articles are even saying that those who are sleep deprived consume around 549 extra calories a day! (nydailynews.com)That's a little over 1 pound a week!

Recently, the newlyweds have had opposite sleeping schedules. Every night it was something different waking me up...the t.v., the microwave opening and shutting, the smell of burning food!!! Apparently, Brian likes to cook at night. Ugh, I couldn't get a good nights sleep to save my life. After bringing this to Brian's attention he has gotten better about keeping it nice and quiet at night. One less thing I have to worry about when it comes to my health!

Steps to better sleep:
First, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night
1-Create a sleep schedule- yes a bed time =)
2-Monitor what you eat and drink before bedtime. Remember, some foods have caffeine too! Although alcohol may cause sleepiness, your brain continues to wonder keeping your body from optimal sleep.
3- Make your bed comfy.
4-Turn off the t.v. and lap top. Try reading to relax your brain.
5-Try not to exercise 2 hours before bedtime
 For more tips go to the Mayo Clinic!

Continue to read as I continue my mission: Healthy Huggins!
Addendum!
Health Tip: Food for Sleep!!

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