How to Improve Your Sleep Patterns for Weight Loss
There are so many benefits to living a healthy lifestyle. While many choose to live a healthier lifestyle to lose weight, it can also help reduce your risk of certain medical conditions, while improving other areas of your life. Did you know that taking the steps toward better sleep patterns can actually aid in your weight loss efforts? In fact, getting enough sleep each night is a key component to maintaining a healthy weight.
To help you achieve your weight loss goals and live the healthiest lifestyle possible, let’s take a closer look at five of the best ways to improve your sleep patterns! But first, let’s discuss the connection between sleep and weight loss.
The Connection Between Sleep and Weight Loss
There are many lifestyle changes that you can make to help aid in weight loss efforts. From committing to a healthier diet and drinking more water, to engaging in regular physical activity, following a weight loss program and more, the right approach truly can make all the difference.
What many often overlook, is the value that getting enough sleep can offer. In fact, the connection between sleep and weight loss is a lot stronger than many initially think.
Lack of sleep can affect the levels, production and regulation of ghrelin and leptin, two neurotransmitters that directly affect your hunger levels.
Sleep deprivation has been linked to metabolic dysregulation, which can affect the way your body metabolises food.
Lack of sleep can greatly affect your energy levels, which may lead to a lack of motivation for cooking healthy meals or engaging in physical activity.
To learn more about how lack of sleep or irregular sleep patterns can affect your weight loss and/or maintenance, read this helpful article from the Sleep Foundation.
5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep Patterns
Now that you better understand the connection between weight loss and sleep, let’s take a closer look at five of the best approaches that you can take for a better sleep.
1. Commit to a Regular Sleep Schedule
The key to better sleep patterns may be consistency! If you’re struggling with falling asleep, try creating a sleep schedule and sticking to it. This may include a combination of bathing, skin care, reading, meditating, or even listening to soothing music.
When creating a sleep schedule, maintaining the same time each night is also important. Allow yourself at least an hour of time before laying your head on the pillow to prepare for a restful sleep.
2. Create the Perfect Sleep Environment
While some can fall asleep in any environment, others may thrive in a space that has been designed for a night of restful sleep. If you’re suffering from poor sleep patterns, try changing or improving the elements within your bedroom.
Get started with the following improvements:
Add black-out curtains to any windows to block light
Use a sound machine with a timer to help relax your mind
Lower the temperature using a ceiling or floor fan
Sleep in comfortable pyjamas made from 100% cotton
Update your bedding, pillow and even mattress to better suit your needs
Is your cat or dog hogging the bed? If so, sharing your sleep space with your furry friend may be affecting your sleep patterns. It may be time to transition them to a separate sleep area. Start by getting them their own bed and placing it at the foot of your bed. Once they have adapted to sleeping in their own bed, try placing it on the floor!
3. Avoid Certain Food/Drink Before Bed
Some food and drink options can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Foods to avoid before bed can include chocolate, cheese, ice cream, chips, bananas, and anything with caffeine, such as coffee and certain carbonated drinks.
Swap the foods listed above with options that can help promote good sleep patterns, such as turkey, herbal tea, fish, almonds, and nuts. For best results, aim to reduce or stop eating and drinking roughly two to three hours before bed.
4. Reduce or Better Manage Your Stress
Is your stress and anxiety keeping you up at night?
If your mind is particularly active while trying to fall asleep, it may be wise to rethink your sources of stress and anxiety. Take some time to identify your sources of stress and create an action plan to reduce, eliminate or better manage them on a daily basis.
While it may not be possible to eliminate all sources of stress, the simple act of making a plan to combat and better manage them can help to set your mind at ease.
5. Engage in Regular Physical Activity
What better way to burn excess energy and help your body crave rest, than with regular physical activity? Start with adding a leisurely walk to your daily routine and increase intensity and duration slowly.
As with any lifestyle change, it’s always recommended to first speak with your doctor. Your physician will be able to help you assess your lifestyle and make the best choices toward better sleep patterns and weight loss that is gradual, healthy and lasting.
Bonus Tip: Try a relaxing activity as part of your wind-down routine at the end of the day. We suggest reading one chapter of a book before bed, stretching or listening to calming music.
Lose Weight and Improve Sleep with Coaching & Medicine
Did you find the information in this article helpful? We suggest taking a look at the other articles in our informative blog section!
For more information about taking a healthy approach toward lasting weight loss, contact our team of experts at Coaching & Medicine today. We can help you create a plan toward a healthier future, complete with a healthy diet, regular exercise, less stress, and of course, lots of sleep!
